Stephen Hawking had a gift for formulating thoughts succinctly. He was a physicist who studied many topics – the origin of all things, the limits of thought, the absurdity of existence, space, and more. He summed up a lot in a nutshell. Here is a selection of his most important quotes on space.
Stephen Hawking Quotes on Exploration of Space
“We’re just a slightly advanced breed of monkeys on a small planet orbiting a very average star. But we can understand the universe.”
“We are running out of space, and the only places to go to are other worlds.”
“What did God do before he created the universe?”
“I have spent my life traveling across the universe, inside my mind.”
“What I have done is to show that it is possible for the way the universe began to be determined by the laws of science. In that case, it would not be necessary to appeal to God to decide how the universe began. This doesn’t prove that there is no God, only that God is not necessary.”
“When we see the Earth from space, we see ourselves as a whole. We see the unity and not the divisions. It is such a simple image with a compelling message; one planet, one human race.”
“You cannot understand the glories of the universe without believing there is some Supreme Power behind it.”
“Ever since the dawn of civilization, people have not been content to see events as unconnected and inexplicable. They have craved an understanding of the underlying order in the world. Today we still yearn to know why we are here and where we came from. Humanity’s deepest desire for knowledge is justification enough for our continuing quest. And our goal is nothing less than a complete description of the universe we live in.”
“If the government is covering up knowledge of aliens, they are doing a better job of it than they do at anything else.”
“So long as the universe had a beginning, we could suppose it had a creator. But if the universe is really completely self-contained, having no boundary or edge, it would have neither beginning nor end: it would simply be. What place, then, for a creator?”
“Because the laws of gravity exist, the universe created itself out of nothing.”
“You can’t prove that God doesn’t exist. But science makes God superfluous.”
“I don’t think we’ll survive another 1,000 years if we don’t manage to leave our fragile planet by then.”
“Asking what was before the beginning of the universe is as pointless as asking: what is north of the North Pole.”
“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.
“It surprises me how disinterested we are today about things like physics, space, the universe and philosophy of our existence, our purpose, our final destination. It’s a crazy world out there. Be curious.”
Other Quotes by Stephen Hawking
“One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don’t throw it away.”
“In my opinion, disabled people should focus on the things that are possible for them instead of mourning those that are impossible to them.”
“Even if I can’t move and I have to talk through a computer, I’m free in my head.”
“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowing.”
“Unlike our intellects, computers double their performance every 18 months, so there is a real danger that they will develop intelligence and take over the world.”
“It is very important that young people keep their sense of wonder and keep asking why.”
“I have noticed that even those who assert that everything is predestined and that we can change nothing about it still look both ways before they cross the street..”
“I believe the simplest explanation is, there is no God. No one created the universe and no one directs our fate. This leads me to a profound realization that there probably is no heaven and no afterlife either. We have this one life to appreciate the grand design of the universe.”
“I don’t think the human race will survive the next thousand years unless we spread into space.”
“My goal is simple: to fully understand the universe – why it is the way it is and why it exists in the first place.”
“I think we all, not just theoretical physicists, would like to know where we come from.”
“The afterlife is a fairy tale for those who are afraid of the dark.”
“I am not afraid of death. But I’m not in a hurry either.”
Who Is the Author of the Listed Quotes?
The author of the listed quotes is Stephen Hawking, a British astrophysicist. He has been celebrated as a genius since the late 1960s. He is now considered, after Albert Einstein, as one of the world’s most important and influential physicists of the 20th century.
Due to his severe motor neuron disease, which confined him to a wheelchair, and his sometimes unconventional theories about black holes, Stephen Hawking has been known to a broad public at the international level since the 1970s.
Numerous appearances in the media and popular TV series and two film adaptations of his extraordinary life further contributed to his high level of awareness.
Stephen Hawking lost his ability to speak because he had to have an incision in the windpipe as an emergency measure after contracting dangerous pneumonia in Geneva in the 1980s. He was then dependent on a voice computer for communication. At first, he could use this manually to choose the right words.
Stephen Hawking wasn’t just one of the best physicists in human history – he was a nice guy. Friendly, humble, and hardworking. He married twice and had three children. As a professor at Cambridge, he was loved by his students and was a best-selling author. He passed away in 2018.
Wrap Up
Hawking was popular and revered for his scientific achievements. Everyone who met him or was allowed to work with him raved about his cordial nature. He was a “living inspiration”, wrote one of his former employees, and we think he will remain an inspiration for generations to come.