We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet.
Stephen HawkingRead
I had not expected 'A Brief History of Time' to be a best seller. It was my first popular book and aroused a great deal of interest. Initially, many people found it difficult to understand. I therefore decided to try to write a new version that would be easier to follow.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Stephen Hawking discusses his surprise at the popularity of his book and his effort to make complex ideas accessible.
In this quote, Stephen Hawking reflects on the unexpected success of his book 'A Brief History of Time' and the challenges readers faced in grasping its concepts. Recognizing the need for clarity, he expresses his intention to produce a more accessible version, highlighting the importance of making scientific knowledge available to a wider audience.
Themes
ScienceUnderstandingBookEducationAccessibility
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about scientific literacy, one might quote Hawking's reflection on making complex ideas easier to understand.
More from Stephen Hawking
All quotes →I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.
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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. Its a crazy world out there. Be curious.
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I was not a good student. I did not spend much time at college; I was too busy enjoying myself.
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The world has changed far more in the past 100 years than in any other century in history. The reason is not political or economic but technological-technologies that flowed directly from advances in basic science. Clearly, no scientist better represents those advances than Albert Einstein: TIME's Person of the Century.
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In my opinion, there is no aspect of reality beyond the reach of the human mind.
Stephen HawkingRead
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