We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet.
Stephen HawkingRead
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of curiosity about scientific and philosophical questions critical to our existence.
Stephen Hawking's quote highlights a troubling trend where people appear increasingly indifferent to profound questions about physics, the universe, and the essence of our existence. He urges us to embrace curiosity and wonder in a world filled with complexities, reminding us of the importance of seeking knowledge and understanding in both science and philosophy, as it can enrich our lives and provide deeper insight into our purpose and fate.
Themes
CuriositySciencePhilosophyExistenceUniverseKnowledge
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a science class to inspire students to explore physics and space.
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.
Stephen HawkingRead
I was not a good student. I did not spend much time at college; I was too busy enjoying myself.
Stephen HawkingRead
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.
Stephen HawkingRead
In my opinion, there is no aspect of reality beyond the reach of the human mind.
Stephen HawkingRead
The cyclic universe theory predicts no gravitational waves from the early universe.
Stephen HawkingRead
Similar quotes
Economic and technical imperatives - not any preconceived directives - will keep propelling the process of energy transition.
Vaclav SmilRead
Until now the theory of infinite series in general has been very badly grounded. One applies all the operations to infinite series as if they were finite; but is that permissible? I think not. Where is it demonstrated that one obtains the differential of an infinite series by taking the differential of each term? Nothing is easier than to give instances where this is not so.
Niels Henrik AbelRead
It's hard to imagine anything more interesting than learning how we're woven into the enormous tapestry of existence. Where did our universe come from? How special is our world, and how special are we? We allocate tens of billions of dollars annually to NASA, NSF and academia in search of the answers.
Seth ShostakRead
It at once struck me that under these circumstances favourable variations would tend to be preserved, and unfavourable ones to be destroyed.
Charles DarwinRead
Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.
Theodosius DobzhanskyRead
Even if 'going retrograde' or 'moving into Aquarius' were real phenomena, something that planets actually do, what influence could they possibly have on human events? A planet is so far away that its gravitational pull on a new-born baby would be swamped by the gravitational pull of the doctor's paunch.
Richard DawkinsRead