Philosophy
The most famous scientist in the world, Stephen Hawking, has never avoided the big questions, from the nature of time to the fate of the universe.
But that was just a warm-up. Now he is squaring off with God.
Hawking will kick off Curiosity, the Discovery Channel's weekly look (Sunday, 8 p.m. ET/ PT) at what research says about life's big questions. It starts on Aug. 7., with an episode entitled, "Is There a Creator?" Afflicted with a form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease) while young and now paralyzed, Hawking speaks with the aid of a voice synethesizer, and a narrator on the show.
"I recently published a book that asked if God created the universe. It caused something of a stir," Hawking, 69, begins on the episode. (The "stir", in fact, was religious leaders denouncing his book's conclusion that God was unnecessary to the universe.) On the show, he takes viewers on a walk through humanity's history of appraising our place in the universe, from Vikings facing down eclipses to the laws of modern cosmology, which explain the origin and structure of universe. "I believe the discovery of these laws is mankind's greatest achievement," he says.
Much of the show revolves around themes from last year's look at the cosmos, The Grand Design, written by Hawking with physicist Leonard Mlodinow. Pictured on the cover of the Oxford Dictionary of Scientists with Albert Einstein and Marie Curie, Hawking is scientifically best known for "Hawking radiation," his revelation that black holes are hot (or very cold for the big ones) and small black holes rapidly radiate away their heat to finally evaporate.
In a short, exclusive interview with USA TODAY, Hawking e-mailed his answers to why he is taking on religion to start off the show, and discussed his life and legacy. Here are his answers to some of the questions:
Q: First, we wonder if you could comment on why you are tackling the existence of God question?
A: I think Science can explain the Universe without the need for God.
Q. What problems you are working on now, and what do you see as the big questions in theoretical physics?
A: I'm working on the question, why is there something rather than nothing, why are the laws of physics what they are.
Q: What do you see as your legacy in science or for the people who have become enthusiastic about physics as a result of your work and writing?
A: I think my most important discovery is the fundamental relation between gravity and thermodynamics (the study of how heat moves through matter) which gives a black hole a temperature and causes it to evaporate slowly.
Q: Was there ever anything besides theoretical physics that tempted you as a lifetime pursuit?
A: My father would have liked me to do medicine but from the age of 13 or 14 I knew I wanted to do research in physics.
Essentially on "Is There A Creator?," Hawking notes that on the sub-atomic scale, particles are seen in experiments to appear from nowhere. And since the Big Bang started out smaller than an atom, similarly the universe likely "popped into existence without violating the known laws of Nature," he says. Nothing created the universe, so in his view there was no need for a creator. That is his explanation for "why there is something rather than nothing."
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Philosophy
S. Hawking is moving closer to philosophy
"Stephen Hawking tackles Creation on 'Curiosity'"
by
Dan Vergano
July 31st, 2011
USA TODAY
by
Dan Vergano
July 31st, 2011
USA TODAY
The most famous scientist in the world, Stephen Hawking, has never avoided the big questions, from the nature of time to the fate of the universe.
But that was just a warm-up. Now he is squaring off with God.
Hawking will kick off Curiosity, the Discovery Channel's weekly look (Sunday, 8 p.m. ET/ PT) at what research says about life's big questions. It starts on Aug. 7., with an episode entitled, "Is There a Creator?" Afflicted with a form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease) while young and now paralyzed, Hawking speaks with the aid of a voice synethesizer, and a narrator on the show.
"I recently published a book that asked if God created the universe. It caused something of a stir," Hawking, 69, begins on the episode. (The "stir", in fact, was religious leaders denouncing his book's conclusion that God was unnecessary to the universe.) On the show, he takes viewers on a walk through humanity's history of appraising our place in the universe, from Vikings facing down eclipses to the laws of modern cosmology, which explain the origin and structure of universe. "I believe the discovery of these laws is mankind's greatest achievement," he says.
Much of the show revolves around themes from last year's look at the cosmos, The Grand Design, written by Hawking with physicist Leonard Mlodinow. Pictured on the cover of the Oxford Dictionary of Scientists with Albert Einstein and Marie Curie, Hawking is scientifically best known for "Hawking radiation," his revelation that black holes are hot (or very cold for the big ones) and small black holes rapidly radiate away their heat to finally evaporate.
In a short, exclusive interview with USA TODAY, Hawking e-mailed his answers to why he is taking on religion to start off the show, and discussed his life and legacy. Here are his answers to some of the questions:
Q: First, we wonder if you could comment on why you are tackling the existence of God question?
A: I think Science can explain the Universe without the need for God.
Q. What problems you are working on now, and what do you see as the big questions in theoretical physics?
A: I'm working on the question, why is there something rather than nothing, why are the laws of physics what they are.
Q: What do you see as your legacy in science or for the people who have become enthusiastic about physics as a result of your work and writing?
A: I think my most important discovery is the fundamental relation between gravity and thermodynamics (the study of how heat moves through matter) which gives a black hole a temperature and causes it to evaporate slowly.
Q: Was there ever anything besides theoretical physics that tempted you as a lifetime pursuit?
A: My father would have liked me to do medicine but from the age of 13 or 14 I knew I wanted to do research in physics.
Essentially on "Is There A Creator?," Hawking notes that on the sub-atomic scale, particles are seen in experiments to appear from nowhere. And since the Big Bang started out smaller than an atom, similarly the universe likely "popped into existence without violating the known laws of Nature," he says. Nothing created the universe, so in his view there was no need for a creator. That is his explanation for "why there is something rather than nothing."
- Redaction From Hawking
"Stephen Hawking says there is no such thing as black holes, Einstein spinning in his grave" STEPHEN Hawking has rocked the world of physics by reversing his lifetime’s work to claim that black holes do NOT exist – insisting they’re more like 50...
- S. Hawking's New Book...a Review By Michael Moorcock
Well, why not...nothing else to do, so write a book and speculate. "Book review: 'The Grand Design' by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow" This fascinating book ponders the numerous theories that explain our universe, scientific and otherwise....
- Stephen Hawking Ill
Just in... "Scientist Hawking ill in hospital" Leading scientist Stephen Hawking is "very ill" in hospital, his employer Cambridge University has said. April 20th, 2009 BBC A spokesman said Professor Hawking was undergoing tests at Addenbrooke's...
- "living Popular Scientist" Poll
Who is your choice for living "popular" scientist? Brian Greene...0 Freeman Dyson...3 Lawrence Krauss...0 Neil deGrasse Tyson...2 Stephen Hawking...3 Somewhat surprised. I suppose Hawking would lead...he is quite an icon. I expected Krauss to be at the...
- S. Hawking To Canada
Is this publicity or real research? "Hawking Plans Research at Center Started by BlackBerry Founder" by Greg Quinn November 27th, 2008 Bloomberg.com Stephen Hawking, a U.K. physics professor known for his work on black holes, plans to study at a...