We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet.
There are grounds for cautious optimism that we may now be near the end ofthe search for the ultimate laws of nature.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Stephen Hawking expresses a hopeful perspective on discovering the fundamental laws that govern the universe.
In this quote, Stephen Hawking conveys a sense of cautious optimism regarding humanity's pursuit of understanding the ultimate laws of nature. It reflects the belief that, despite challenges and complexities, researchers and scientists may be on the brink of significant breakthroughs in the field of science, which could lead to profound insights into the workings of the universe.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about scientific advancements, one might say, 'As Stephen Hawking once noted, there are grounds for cautious optimism in our search for the ultimate laws of nature.'
More from Stephen Hawking
All quotes βI 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.
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.
I was not a good student. I did not spend much time at college; I was too busy enjoying myself.
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.
In my opinion, there is no aspect of reality beyond the reach of the human mind.
Similar quotes
Perhaps some day in the dim future it will be possible to advance the computations faster than the weather advances and at a cost less than the saving to mankind due to the information gained. But that is a dream.
As a member of both the energy and environment committees, I am constantly astounded by how many of my colleagues prefer to focus on what the government can do for the nuclear or coal industries rather than why the government should support clean and sustainable energy.
Science is often misrepresented as "the body of knowledge acquired by performing replicated controlled experiments in the laboratory." Actually, science is something broader: the acquisition of reliable knowledge about the world.
At one point consciousness-altering devices like the microscope and telescope were criminalized for exactly the same reasons that psychedelic plants were banned in later years. They allow us to peer into bits and zones of Chaos.
There are people who could watch a hurricane like Sandy blow out of the Atlantic every other day and blame it on anything but human activity. They are like those who, having been diagnosed with diabetes, eat donuts for breakfast. There's not much to do about them.
The theory of our modern technic shows that nothing is as practical as theory.