Brief Answers To The Big Questions
The ten questions that are considered include: Is there a God? How did it all begin? What is inside a black hole? Can we predict the future? Is time travel possible? Will we survive on Earth? Is there other intelligent life in the universe? Should we colonise space? Will artificial intelligence outsmart us? How do we shape the future?[5]
Brief Answers to the Big Questions
The book also discusses the "big questions", including life ("in the next 50 years, we will come to understand how life began and possibly discover whether life exists elsewhere in the universe"), time ("You can't get to a time before the Big Bang [because] there was no time before the Big Bang ... If the concept of time only exists within our universe and the universe came to be spontaneously ... and with it, brought time into existence, there's simply no 'before' to consider." Hawking used the simile, that there is nothing on Earth south of the South Pole. After discussing the inhomogeneities in the cosmic background radiation, detailed by the WMAP satellite, the book concludes "So look carefully at the map of the microwave sky. It is the blueprint for all the structure in the universe. We are the product of quantum fluctuations in the early universe. God really does play dice."[12]
Further, Hawking believed the universe could reach an end point, either through an eventual cosmic "crunch or an expansion" ... "In the interim ... We are all time travelers, journeying together into the future. But let us make that future a place we want to visit"),[13] the possibility of time travel ("asking if time travel is possible is a 'very serious question' that our current understanding cannot rule out"),[14] and God ("knowing the mind of God is knowing the laws of nature ... My prediction is that we will know the mind of God by the end of this century";[13] further, "if you like, you can call the laws of science 'God,' but it wouldn't be a personal God that you would meet and put questions to ... [nevertheless] the simplest explanation is that God does not exist and there is no reliable evidence for an afterlife, though people could live on through their influence and genes").[3][5][6][11] As for the need for a God to cause the Big Bang, Hawking stated that "The laws of nature itself tell us that not only could the universe have popped into existence without any assistance, like a proton, and have required nothing in terms of energy, but also it is possible that nothing caused the Big Bang. Nothing."[15]
The book is quintessential Hawking. He starts by addressing the questions in physics and cosmology that he dedicated his intellectual life to answer, using easy-to-follow arguments and drawing from everyday images and thought experiments. When the going gets technical, he doesn't try to overexplain, instead simply stating the facts as they are. This part of the book is a kind of state of cosmology survey, which no doubt gave him a sense of closure: This is how I see the world, my take on the big questions and how I contributed to the progress toward their solution.
The book includes 10 questions, starting with "Is There a God?" and ending with the very inspirational "How Do We Shape the Future?" Between these two, Hawking discourses on the existence of God (he denies it, with arguments that believers might find unconvincing while nonbelievers will take as essential atheistic gospel), on the origin of the universe and of life, on time travel, on what's inside black holes, on whether there is intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, on whether we can predict the future, on the real or imagined threats from aliens and artificial intelligence and so on.
by Hawking, Stephen, 1942-2018 (Author) eBook Saved in: Availability Loading... Summary The world-famous cosmologist and #1 bestselling author of A Brief History of Time leaves us with his final thoughts on the biggest questions facing humankind. Stephen Hawking was the most renowned scientist since Einstein, known both for his groundbreaking work in physics and cosmology and for his m... Full description
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How did it all begin? Is time travel possible? Is there other intelligent life in the universe? Will artificial intelligence outsmart us? Can we predict the future? Should we colonize space? These are just some of the many thoughtful, probing questions that Hawking addresses in friendly, humourous, science-based, but understandable essays.
The renowned scientist Stephen Hawking has inspired many with overcoming ALS and going on to live a full, energetic, and successful life in the top of his field, astrophysics. He has discovered much, and helped set the ground for future researchers. In this book, following up on others including the bestselling A Brief History of Time, he focuses on answering some large, broad questions that have impacts across humankind.
The world-famous cosmologist and #1 bestselling author of A Brief History of Time leaves us with his final thoughts on the biggest questions facing humankind. Stephen Hawking was the most renowned scientist since Einstein, known both for his groundbreaking work in physics and cosmology and for his mischievous sense of humor. He educated millions of readers about the origins of the universe and the nature of black holes, and inspired millions more by defying a terrifying early prognosis of ALS, which originally gave him only two years to live. In later life he could communicate only by using a few facial muscles, but he continued to advance his field and serve as a revered voice on social and humanitarian issues.Hawking not only unraveled some of the universe’s greatest mysteries but also believed science plays a critical role in fixing problems here on Earth. Now, as we face immense challenges on our planet—including climate change, the threat of nuclear war, and the development of artificial intelligence—he turns his attention to the most urgent issues facing us. Will humanity survive? Should we colonize space? Does God exist? ​​These are just a few of the questions Hawking addresses in this wide-ranging, passionately argued final book from one of the greatest minds in history. Featuring a foreword by Eddie Redmayne, who won an Oscar playing Stephen Hawking, an introduction by Nobel Laureate Kip Thorne, and an afterword from Hawking’s daughter, Lucy, Brief Answers to the Big Questions is a brilliant last message to the world.Praise for Brief Answers to the Big Questions “This beautiful little book is a fitting last twinkle from a new star in the firmament above.”—The Telegraph “It’s a book every thinking person worried about humanity’s future should read. . . . Hawking’s parting gift to humanity.”—NPR
Overall, Hawking answers each question by explaining his research and that of others. He gives his opinion as a well-learned scientist without allowing for theological implications, since he believes that they are unnecessary. This can obviously be frustrating for Christians and other religious people.
Hawkings wrote that maybe extraterrestrial life is common in the universe, but intelligent life is not. Hawking questions whether intelligence is really beneficial from the standpoint of Darwinian evolution. Maybe species that evolve sufficient intelligence to develop advanced weapons technology tend to bring about their own extinction through war. If intelligence tends to be an evolutionary dead-end, there may not be very many intelligent races in the universe at any given time.
One day, I hope we will know the answers to all these questions. But there are other challenges, other big questions on the planet which must be answered, and these will also need a new generation who are interested and engaged, and have an understanding of science. How will we feed an ever-growing population? Provide clean water, generate renewable energy, prevent and cure disease and slow down global climate change? I hope that science and technology will provide the answers to these questions, but it will take people, human beings with knowledge and understanding, to implement these solutions. Let us fight for every woman and every man to have the opportunity to live healthy, secure lives, full of opportunity and love. We are all time travellers, journeying together into the future. But let us work together to make that future a place we want to visit. Be brave, be curious, be determined, overcome the odds. It can be done.
The final book from Professor Stephen Hawking, the bestselling author of A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME and arguably the most famous scientist of our age, BRIEF ANSWERS TO THE BIG QUESTIONS is a profound, accessible and timely reflection on the biggest questions in science.
The world-famous cosmologist and #1 bestselling author of A Brief History of Time leaves us with his final thoughts on the universe's biggest questions in this brilliant posthumous work. Is there a God?How did it all begin?Can we predict the future?What is inside a black hole?Is there other intelligent life in the universe?Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?How do we shape the future?Will we survive on Earth?Should we colonise space?Is time travel possible?Throughout his extraordinary career, Stephen Hawking expanded our understanding of the universe and unravelled some of its greatest mysteries. But even as his theoretical work on black holes, imaginary time and multiple histories took his mind to the furthest reaches of space, Hawking always believed that science could also be used to fix the problems on our planet. 041b061a72