The universe came into being without any divine assistance from God, according to famed physicist Stephen Hawking, who gave a talk to a full house at the California Institute of Technology on Tuesday night.
Hawking began by citing an African creation myth, and then went on to address questions such as "Why are we here?"
"What was God doing before the divine creation?" he asked, noting that many people seek a divine solution to counter the theories of physicists. "Was he preparing hell for people who asked such questions?"
Hawking outlined the theological debate about the creation of the universe, then gave a review of the scientific explanation, citing a theory developed by Fred Hoyle and Thomas Gold, called the steady-state theory. The theory states there is no beginning and no end and that galaxies continue to form from spontaneously created matter. According to Hawking, this theory does not withstand criticism. He cited recent observations by telescopes and other instruments.
He also gave a brief discussion on relativistic physics and cosmology, where he brought up the idea of a repeated Big Bang, which he believed likely to only occur once.
Hawking also discussed Pope John Paul II's admonishment against the scientific community in the 1980s.
"I was glad not to be thrown into an inquisition," Hawking joked.
Hawking ended the talk with an outline of "M-theory," which suggests that multiple universes are created out of nothing, with many possible histories and many possible states of existence. Life would only be possible in a few of these states, and life similar to humanity would be possible in fewer still.
Hawking said he felt fortunate to live in this state of existence.
"We must continue to go into space for the future of humanity," he said. "I don't think we will survive another thousand years without escaping our fragile planet."
The line to get into the talk, entitled "The Origin of the Universe" stretched a quarter-mile long, and people began lining up for tickets 12 hours in advance.
To accommodate the demand, the university set up a second auditorium and a jumbotron on the lawn. Even that had about 1,000 people in attendance.
Hawking has battled the debilitating neurological condition called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as Lou Gehrig's disease, for 50 years. He is currently spending a month at Caltech, which he does every year, consulting with colleagues to discuss the mysteries of the cosmos.
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