Thanks is a great story, but not about Feynman or Feminism.
It’s about class.
The reason she felt comfortable was because she was from the ‘upper’ class that belonged. And could question anyone, even Noble Laureates.
> she felt comfortable... ...could question anyone, even Noble Laureates.
The idea that this is explained entirely by class does a disservice to people from more humble backgrounds who are capable of being confident. For example Feynmann himself has a large number of anecdotes about suddenly not caring who he was arguing with because thinking about the problem took over. Los Alamos with all the greatests physcists after Newton present, for example.
Putting class at the centre of everything really isn't vastly better than pretending it has no relevance and does not exist. The thing that should interest us more is where are the modest background geniuses coming from now? Is class distinction getting more important and becoming a stronger barrier now than in the 30s and 40s or from this story the 70s. US tuition fees and student debt would suggest it is worth looking at.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkv0KCR3Yiw
He was the child of poor Jewish immigrants.