In Quantum Man: Richard Feynman’s Life in Science, Krauss considers how Feynman’s ruthlessly bottom-up approach to science breathed fresh life into theoretical physics. Among other aspects, the book also considers the wider impact of Feyman’s work on other scientific disciplines including biology and computer science.

In this special audio interview with physicsworld.com reporter James Dacey, Krauss discusses his incentive for writing the book. “Feynman for me, like most scientists, was a sort of idol and it was a great opportunity to pay homage to him, and a personal homage because the last time I saw him I’d meant to tell him a few things and didn’t get a chance to,” he says.

Part of Krauss’ motivation for writing the book was his feeling that many earlier biographies aimed at the public have focused too much on Feynman’s personality, which can give the impression that science was something Feynman did “on the side”. “The public knows of [Feynman] as a curious character, and he is a fascinating human individual,” explains Krauss. “But what was clear to me is that people did not know why physicists revered him and I wanted to talk about his scientific legacy.”

Krauss explains that his own approach to physics was inspired by Feynman. “He often appeared to have results by magic, and what I also wanted to get across is how incredibly organized he was in his own thinking.

“The reason he could answer so many questions is that at some point or other he’d worked it out before. He’d have thousands and thousands of pages of notes in a very organized fashion.

“While he was a joker in life, when it came to science he was dead serious and he didn’t mess around.”

• Read Arthur I Miller’s review of this book