We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet.
Stephen HawkingRead
We think that life develops spontaneously on Earth, so it must be possible for life to develop on suitable planets elsewhere in the universe. But we don't know the probability that a planet develops life.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that if life can arise on Earth, it should be possible on other planets, although the likelihood remains unknown.
Stephen Hawking's quote reflects on the natural development of life, implying that our understanding of life's emergence on Earth suggests it could occur in similar conditions on other planets across the universe. However, it also highlights the uncertainty surrounding the probabilities of life existing elsewhere, emphasizing the mystery that still surrounds the origins of life itself.
Themes
LifeUniversePlanetsProbabilityEarth
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a lecture about astrobiology to illustrate the possibilities of extraterrestrial life.
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.
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