The renowned scientist shared his views on the existence of God in his book 'Brief Answers to the Big Questions'
The existence of God has always been questioned, whether from a religious perspective or a scientific one. Great scientists like Stephen Hawking have often faced this question. The renowned theoretical physicist shared his views on the matter in his final book, "Brief Answers to the Big Questions."
Hawking's book was mostly written during his lifetime but was finished after his death with help from his family and academic colleagues. In his final book, the late scientist discussed the existence of God. Referring to his disability in his explanation, he wrote, "For centuries, it was believed that disabled people like me were living under a curse that was inflicted by God. Well, I suppose it’s possible that I’ve upset someone up there, but I prefer to think that everything can be explained another way, by the laws of nature."
He added that people like him, who believe in science, "believe that there are certain laws that are always obeyed. If you like, you can say the laws are the work of God, but that is more a definition of God than a proof of his existence."
Hawking refused to acknowledge the existence of God with his most direct, personal answer as he outrightly said, "It’s my view that the simplest explanation is that there is no God. No one created the universe and no one directs our fate."
The late astrophysicist had a prestigious career and made enormous contributions to science. He was commended for his work on the physics of black holes. Hawking proposed that black holes emit subatomic particles until they eventually explode. He also proposed the multiverse theory, which states that our universe is one of many parallel universes existing in a fractal-like multiverse, published in the Journal of High Energy Physics.
The genius scientist struggled with health complications throughout his adult life. At 21, he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which is a type of motor neuron disease. Despite the life-threatening disease, Hawking managed to live much of his life in a motorized wheelchair, communicating mostly with the assistance of a portable system mounted on its arms.
The renowned scientist passed away at the age of 76 on March 14, 2018, in his home. A year before that, he said he was thankful for his extended life. "I never expected to reach 75, so I feel very fortunate to be able to reflect on my legacy," he said in an interview with BBC.
Editor's note: This article was originally published on May 25, 2024. It has since been updated.
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