ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Stephen Hawking - Theoretical physicist
Stephen Hawking's scientific investigations have shed light on the origins of the cosmos, the nature of time and the ultimate fate of the universe. His bestselling books for a general audience have given an appreciation of physics to millions.

Why you should listen

Stephen Hawking is perhaps the world's most famous living physicist. A specialist in cosmology and quantum gravity and a devotee of black holes, his work has probed the origins of the cosmos, the nature of time and the universe's ultimate fate -- earning him accolades including induction into the Order of the British Empire. To the public, he's best known as an author of bestsellers such as The Universe in a Nutshell and A Brief History of Time, which have brought an appreciation of theoretical physics to millions.

Though the motor neuron disorder ALS has confined Hawking to a wheelchair, it hasn't stopped him from lecturing widely, making appearances on television shows such as Star Trek: The Next Generation and The Simpsons -- and planning a trip into orbit with Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic. (He recently experienced weightlessness aboard Zero Gravity Corporation's "Vomit Comet.") A true academic celebrity, he uses his public appearances to raise awareness about potential global disasters -- such as global warming -- and to speak out for the future of humanity: "Getting a portion of the human race permanently off the planet is imperative for our future as a species," he says.

Hawking serves as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, where he continues to contribute to both high-level physics and the popular understanding of our universe.

More profile about the speaker
Stephen Hawking | Speaker | TED.com
TED2008

Stephen Hawking: Questioning the universe

'u' lubopbogh potlh'a'mey nuD Stephen Hawking

Filmed:
12,876,555 views

potlh'a'mey bop TED2008. vaj 'u'maj lubopbogh potlh'a'mey nuD Stephen Hawking. ghel ghaH: chay' chenpu' 'u'? chay' chenpu' yIn? mamob'a'? janglaHmeH mIw Del ghaH.
- Theoretical physicist
Stephen Hawking's scientific investigations have shed light on the origins of the cosmos, the nature of time and the ultimate fate of the universe. His bestselling books for a general audience have given an appreciation of physics to millions. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:14
There is nothing bigger'u' or olderolder than the universe'u'.
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'u' tIn law' Hoch tIn puS. 'u' qan law' Hoch qan puS.
00:18
The questionsyu' I would like to talk about are:
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vay' vIghel vIneH,
00:22
one, where did we come from?
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nuqDaq 'oH mungmaj'e'?
00:29
How did the universe'u' come into beingDep?
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chay' chenpu' 'u'?
00:32
Are we alonemob in the universe'u'?
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'u'Daq mamob'a'?
00:36
Is there aliennov life out there?
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latlh yuQmeyDaq yaghmey lutu'lu''a'?
00:39
What is the futurepIq of the humanHuman raceSegh?
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nuq 'oH Human Segh San'e'?
00:43
Up untiluntil the 1920s,
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qaSpa' tera' maH DIS poH 1920
00:45
everyoneHoch thought the universe'u' was essentiallymaw'be'taH staticstatic
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choHbe' 'u'
00:49
and unchangingchoHbe' in time.
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'e' luHar Hoch.
00:51
Then it was discoveredtu' that the universe'u' was expandingSach.
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SachtaH 'u' ghIq net tu'.
00:56
Distantchuq galaxiesqIb were movingvIH away from us.
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cholHa'taH qIbmey Hop.
00:59
This meantqej they mustghob'e' have been closerwa' togethernItebHa' in the pastqa' jIH.
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vaj 'op poH ret wa' DaqDaq Sumbej.
01:06
If we extrapolateextrapolate back,
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mIwvam wInuDchugh, vaj ngoD wItlhoj:
01:08
we find we mustghob'e' have all been on topyor of eachHoch other
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15 000 000 000 ben
01:12
about 15 billion500 yearsDIS agoben law'.
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wa' DaqDaq Hoch qIbmey lutu'lu'.
01:14
This was the BigtIn Bangbang, the beginningbI'reS of the universe'u'.
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ngugh qaS SachchoHghach'a', 'u' chenchoHghach.
01:20
But was there anything before the BigtIn Bangbang?
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qaSpa' SachchoHghach'a', vay' tu'lu''a' ?
01:23
If not, what createdchenmoH the universe'u'?
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ngugh pagh tu'lu'chugh, 'u' chenmoH nuq?
01:27
Why did the universe'u' emergeemerge from the BigtIn Bangbang the way it did?
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qatlh 'u' chenmoH SachchoHghach'a', 'ej qatlh jaS chenbe' 'u'.
01:32
We used to think that the theorynger of the universe'u'
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cha' 'ay'mey ghaj 'u' nger naQ
01:37
could be dividedboqHa''egh into two parts'ay'.
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'e' wIHarpu'.
01:39
First, there were the lawschut
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chutmey'e' pabbogh 'u' lutu'lu'.
01:42
like Maxwell'sMaxwell equationsequation and generalSa' relativityrelativity
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Maxwell 'ul peQ je nger. Einstein tlham nger. latlh chutmey je.
01:45
that determinedqIlmeH pIj the evolutionevolution of the universe'u',
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chutmeyvam pablu'chu'taH
01:49
givennob its stateSep over all of spacelogh at one time.
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choHtaHvIS 'u' Dotlh.
01:52
And secondcha'DIch, there was no questionyu'
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chutmeyvam 'oH 'u' nger naQ 'ay' wa''e'.
01:55
of the initialpImchugh chuqmey poHmey stateSep of the universe'u'.
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'u' Dotlh wa'DIch 'oH 'ay' cha''e'.
01:58
We have madechenmoH good progressSer on the first partlopno',
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'ay' wa' wIyajchoHchu'lI'.
02:03
and now have the knowledgeSov of the lawschut of evolutionevolution
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ghu'mey le' wIyajchu'be'bogh lutu'lu'
02:06
in all but the mostHochHom extremeextreme conditionsje.
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'ach tlhoS choHtaHghach chutmey DIyaj.
02:09
But untiluntil recentlyqen, we have had little ideaqech
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'a qen 'u' Dotlh wa'DIch wISovbe'chu'.
02:12
about the initialpImchugh chuqmey poHmey conditionsje for the universe'u'.
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pImchugh chuqmey poHmey je,
02:16
However'a, this divisiondivision into lawschut of evolutionevolution and initialpImchugh chuqmey poHmey conditionsje
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vaj pIm nger 'ay'mey.
02:21
dependsdepend on time and spacelogh beingDep separatechev and distinctdistinct.
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'a chuqmey Da poHmey.
02:27
Underbal bIngDaq extremeextreme conditionsje, generalSa' relativityrelativity and quantumquantum theorynger
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'e' luchaw' ngermey chu' qaStaHvIS ghu'mey le'.
02:31
allowchaw' time to behavebehave like anotherlatlh dimensiondimension of spacelogh.
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vaj pImbe' poHmey chuqmey je.
02:39
This removesteq the distinctiondistinction betweenvangmeH qel time and spacelogh,
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vaj chutmey DIyajchu'DI', 'u' Dotlh wa'DIch wISovlaH.
02:43
and meansqej the lawschut of evolutionevolution can alsoje determineqIlmeH pIj the initialpImchugh chuqmey poHmey stateSep.
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chen'eghmoHlaH 'u'.
02:51
The universe'u' can spontaneouslyspontaneously createchenmoH itselfnarghtaHvIS 'oH out of nothing.
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nuq 'oHpu' 'u' Dotlh wa'DIch'e'? DuH Dotlhmey law'.
02:55
Moreovernep, we can calculateSIm a probabilityprobability that the universe'u'
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ghaytan qaSbogh DuHmey lutu'lu' 'ej ghaytanHa' qaSbogh DuHmey lutu'lu'.
03:03
was createdchenmoH in differentpIm statesSep.
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wISImlaH.
03:05
These predictionschenpu'DI' 'u' woj law' are in excellentchon agreementagreement
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chenpu'DI' 'u' woj law' tlhuDlu'.
03:08
with observationsobservation by the WMAP'U' QUP CHA'BOGH satelliteSIbDoH
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'u' Qup cha'bogh mIllogh'e' luchenmoHmeH tejpu'
03:12
of the cosmicWMAP SIbDoH microwavewoj noch backgroundpatmey lulo'ta',
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WMAP SIbDoH woj noch patmey lulo'ta'.
03:14
whichbogh is an imprintimprint of the very early'eq universe'u'.
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'u' Qup qechmeymaj rurqu' mIlloghvam.
03:18
We think we have solvedsolve the mysterychochu'qang of creationcreation.
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chen'eghmoHghach Qatlh wIyajlaw'.
03:24
Maybe we should patentpatent the universe'u'
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chaq 'u' 'oghlaHghach chaw' wIDoQnIS
03:26
and chargeHuj everyoneHoch royaltiesroyalty for theirchaH existenceDabbogh Hoch'e'.
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ghIq maHvaD DIlnIS 'u' Dabbogh Hoch'e'!
03:33
I now turntlhe' to the secondcha'DIch bigtIn questionyu':
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DaH potlh'a' cha' vIqel:
03:36
are we alonemob, or is there other life in the universe'u'?
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mamob'a'? pagh latlh yuQmeyDaq yaghmey lutu'lu''a'?
03:44
We believe that life arosevay'mo' chen vay' spontaneouslyspontaneously on the Earthtera',
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tera'Daq chenpu' yaghmey. chenmoHta' pagh. 'e' wIHar.
03:47
so it mustghob'e' be possibleDuH for life to appearnargh on other suitableyuQmeyDaq planetsyuQ,
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vaj chaq latlh yuQmeyDaq chenpu' yaghmey.
03:52
of whichbogh there seemlaw' to be a largeyIteb numbermI' in the galaxyqIb.
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'ej qIbmajDaq law'law' yuQmey'e' DablaHbogh yaghmey.
03:56
But we don't know how life first appearednargh.
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chay' chenpu' yaghmey wa'DIch? maSovbe'.
04:04
We have two pieces'ay' of observationalobservational evidenceyab
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chenmeH yaghmey 'eb bopbogh De' law''e'
04:07
on the probabilityprobability of life appearingnargh.
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lu'ang cha' Dochmey:
04:12
The first is that we have fossilswutlhDaq yagh of algaeDItu'pu'
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wutlhDaq yagh Hegh chovnatlhmey DItu'pu'.
04:15
from 3.5 billion500 yearsDIS agoben law'.
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3 500 000 000 ben Hegh yaghmeyvam.
04:19
The Earthtera' was formedDumerbe' 4.6 billion500 yearsDIS agoben law'
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4 600 000 000 ben chen tera'.
04:23
and was probablyjIchegh too hottuj for about the first halfbID billion500 yearsDIS.
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qaStaHvIS 500 000 000 DIS, ghaytan tera' luDablaHbe' yaghmey 'Iqmo' tuj.
04:33
So life appearednargh on Earthtera'
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vaj DuHpu'DI' yIn,
04:35
withinqaS halfbID a billion500 yearsDIS of it beingDep possibleDuH,
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rInpa' 500 000 000 DIS chenpu' yaghmey.
04:39
whichbogh is shortngaj comparedcompare to the 10-billion-year-500 000 000-DIS lifetimelifetime
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tera' taHtaHghach poH nI' law' yaghmey taHbe'taHghach poH nI' puS,
04:42
of a planetyuQ of Earthtera' typeSegh.
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vaj nom chenpu' yaghmey, DuHpu'DI'.
04:45
This suggestschup that a probabilityprobability of life appearingnargh is reasonablyreasonably highjen.
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vaj qubbe'law' chenmeH yaghmey 'ebmey.
04:50
If it was very low'eS, one would have expectedpIH it
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qubchugh bIH, ghaytanHa' chen yaghmey
04:54
to take mostHochHom of the tenwa'maH billion500 yearsDIS availablelupoQ.
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QuptaHvIS tera'.
04:58
On the other handghop, we don't seemlaw' to have been visitedSuch by aliensnov.
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'a wej nuSuchbe'law' latlh yuQmey nganpu'.
05:04
I am discountingdiscount the reportsja' of UFOsufo.
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UFOmeyqoq vIqelbe'taH.
05:07
Why would they appearnargh only to cranksneH and weirdoesweirdo?
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qatlh taQwI'pu'vaD neH 'ang'egh Dujmeyvam?
05:14
If there is a governmentqum conspiracyQuS to suppresssuppress the reportsja'
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novpu' Sov peghtaH'a' qum?
05:18
and keep for itselfnarghtaHvIS 'oH the scientificscientific knowledgeSov the aliensnov bringqem,
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nIDtaHchugh chaH,
05:23
it seemslaw' to have been a singularlychalDaq HuStaHvIS 'engmey ineffectiveineffective policyngoch so farHop.
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Qapbe'law'taH.
05:27
Furthermorenovpu' nejtaH, despitelubotbe' an extensiveHoch 'ay' searchsearch by the SETIVUMQU'TAH TEJPU' projectjInmol,
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novpu' nejtaH SETI jInmol, 'ej vumqu'taH tejpu',
05:37
we haven'tlutmeyvam heardQoy any aliennov televisionHaSta jIH quiz'a pagh nov shows'agh.
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'a pagh nov ghe'naQmey Qoypu' chaH.
05:41
This probablyjIchegh indicatesnitlhDaj lo'taHvIS boQwI'vaD tu'moH that there are no aliennov civilizationstayqeq
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ghu'vammo' wa''e' wIloylaH:
05:46
at our stagemIw of developmentdevelopment
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'op vatlh loghqam juchbogh moQ qoDDaq
05:48
withinqaS a radiusradius of a fewpuS hundredvatlh lightwovmoHwI' yearsDIS.
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tayqeqmaj lururbogh tayqeqmey'e' lutu'lu'be'.
05:53
IssuingwanI'vammo' tlha' an insurancenov quchwI'pu'mo' policyngoch
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nov quchwI'pu'mo' DuQanmeH
05:55
againstagainst abductionabduction by aliensnov seemslaw' a prettypretty safeQaD betbet.
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negh yIDIlQo'! ghaytan 'utbe'chu'.
06:02
This bringsqem me to the last of the bigtIn questionsyu':
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DaH potlh'a' natlIS vIqel:
06:05
the futurepIq of the humanHuman raceSegh.
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nuq 'oH Human Segh San'e'?
06:08
If we are the only intelligentval beingsbeing in the galaxyqIb,
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qIbvamDaq QublaHbogh latlh yaghmey lutu'lu'be'chugh,
06:12
we should make sure we survivetaH and continuetaH.
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mataHnISqu'!
06:19
But we are entering'el an increasinglyincreasingly dangerousQob periodpuj of our historyqun.
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'a QobtaH ghu'maj.
06:23
Our populationroghvaH and our use of the finitefinite resourcesjo of planetyuQ Earthtera'
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tlhoy law'choHtaH roghvaHmaj 'ej tlhoy tera' jo wInatlhtaH,
06:33
are growingHoSchoH exponentiallyexponentially, alongalong with our technicaltechnical abilitylaH
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'ej chammaj 'Itlhmo' yuQmaj wISIghlaHqu'.
06:37
to changechoH the environmentenvironment for good or illrop.
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wIDublaH 'ej wIQaw'laH.
06:44
But our geneticgenetic codengoq
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'a 'IwmajDaq
06:46
still carriesqeng the selfishmut and aggressivevaQ instinctsDuj
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numutmoHbogh Duj, nuvaQmoHbogh Duj je lutu'lu'taH,
06:49
that were of survivalpoH nI' advantage'utmo' Dujvam in the pastqa' jIH.
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poH nI' ret mataHmeH 'utmo' Dujvam.
06:52
It will be difficultQatlh enoughyap to avoid'ej webqu'meH nov disasterQugh
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qaStaHvIS vatlh DIS poH veb
07:00
in the nextveb hundredvatlh yearsDIS,
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Qugh'a' wIbotlaH'a'? Qatlh.
07:01
let alonemob the nextveb thousandSaD or million'uy'.
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qaStaHvIS 'uy' DIS poH veb... Qatlhqu'!
07:08
Our only chance'eb of long-termnI'taHvIS survivalpoH nI'
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nI'taHvIS poH, mataHtaHmeH
07:11
is not to remainratlh lurkingQugh So' on planetyuQ Earthtera',
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latlh qo'mey DIjaHnISqu'.
07:15
but to spreadyIlanqa'Qo'. out into spacelogh.
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reH tera'Daq maratlhlaHbe'.
07:17
The answersjang to these bigtIn questionsyu'
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potlh'a'meyvam DInuDchugh, vaj wa''e' wItlhoj:
07:22
show'agh that we have madechenmoH remarkableqaStaHvIS nungbogh progressSer in the last hundredvatlh yearsDIS.
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qaStaHvIS nungbogh vatlh DIS poH, Ser law' wIta'ta'.
07:27
But if we want to continuetaH beyondbeyond the nextveb hundredvatlh yearsDIS,
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'a qaStaHvIS vatlh DIS poH veb mataH wIneHchugh,
07:32
our futurepIq is in spacelogh.
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loghDaq 'oH Sanmaj'e'.
07:34
That is why I am in favorfavor of mannedghIghchaj --
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loghDaq lujaH nuvpu' vIneH
07:39
or should I say, personedpersoned -- spacelogh flightflight.
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ngoDvammo'.
07:42
All of my life I have soughtnej to understandyaj'a' the universe'u'
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'u' vIyaj reH 'e' vInID 'ej potlh'a'meyvam vIHaD
07:52
and find answersjang to these questionsyu'.
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qaStaHvIS yInwIj.
07:54
I have been very luckyDo'
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Do' 'e' botqu'be' ropwIj.
07:57
that my disabilitydisability has not been a seriousSagh handicaphandicap.
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chaq muQaH ropwIj.
08:01
IndeedHISlaH, it has probablyjIchegh givennob me more time than mostHochHom people
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ropvammo' qaStaHvIS nI'bogh poHmey 'ej law'bogh
08:06
to pursueDaH 'e' DaQoymo' teSlIj the questQu' for knowledgeSov.
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potlh'a'meyvam vIbuSlaH.
08:08
The ultimateultimate goalngoQ is a completenaQ theorynger of the universe'u',
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'u' nger naQ 'oH ngoQ'a''e',
08:16
and we are makingchenmoH good progressSer.
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'ej Ser law' wIta'lI'.
08:18
Thank you for listening'Ij.
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Su'Ijpu'mo' Satlho'.
08:26
ChrisChris Anderson Andersonanderson: ProfessorghojmoHwI''a', if you had to guessloy eithervIDablaH. jIwivlaH way,
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Chris Anderson: ghojmoHwI''a' wa' DuH DawIv net poQchugh,
08:29
do you now believe that it is more likelyghaytan than not
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ghaytan qIbmajDaq mamob'a'?
08:33
that we are alonemob in the Milkymilky Way,
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tayqeqmaj 'Itlh law' Hoch 'Itlh puS. DuH'a'?
08:36
as a civilizationtayqeq of our levelpatlh of intelligenceintelligence or higherveb?
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chay' bIHar?
08:57
This answerjang tookSuD sevenSoch minutestup, and really gavenob me an insightinsight
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jangmeH vumta' ghaH qaStaHvIS Soch tupmey.
09:03
into the incredibleghojmoHwI''a' actvang of generositygenerosity this wholeDol talk was for TEDTED.
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quvba' ghojmoHwI''a', TEDvaD SoQvam nI' ghItlhta'mo'.
09:18
Stephenstephen Hawkinghawk: I think it quitengoDqoq luHar likelyghaytan that we are the only civilizationtayqeq
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Stephen Hawking: ghaytan 'op vatlh loghqam juchbogh moQ qoDDaq
09:23
withinqaS severalpuS hundredvatlh lightwovmoHwI' yearsDIS;
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tayqeqmaj lururbogh tayqeqmey'e' lutu'lu'be'
09:26
otherwisevuDwIj we would have heardQoy radiowab HevwI' wavesjoq.
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nov jabbI'IDmey DItu'be'pu'mo'.
09:29
The alternativeyInmey is that civilizationstayqeq don't last very long,
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pagh chaq ngaj tayqeq yInmey
09:37
but destroyQaw' themselvesbIH'e'.
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Qaw''eghmo'.
09:38
CACA: ProfessorghojmoHwI''a' Hawkinghawk, thank you for that answerjang.
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CA: Hawking ghojmoHwI''a', bIjangta'mo' qatlho'.
09:44
We will take it as a salutarysalutary warningwarning, I think,
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ghuHvammo'
09:46
for the restleS of our conferenceconference this weekHogh.
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qaStaHvIS qepmaj mayep.
09:50
ProfessorghojmoHwI''a', we really thank you for the extraordinaryextraordinary efforteffort you madechenmoH
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ghojmoHwI''a', SoQvam DaghermeH bIvumqu'ta'mo'
09:54
to shareSoH your questionsyu' with us todayDaHjaj.
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SoHvaD pItlho'.
09:57
Thank you very much indeedHISlaH.
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pItlho'qu'bej.
09:58
(ApplausequvmoHmeH wabmey)
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(quvmoHmeH wabmey)
Translated by Felix Malmenbeck
Reviewed by Terrence Donnelly

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Stephen Hawking - Theoretical physicist
Stephen Hawking's scientific investigations have shed light on the origins of the cosmos, the nature of time and the ultimate fate of the universe. His bestselling books for a general audience have given an appreciation of physics to millions.

Why you should listen

Stephen Hawking is perhaps the world's most famous living physicist. A specialist in cosmology and quantum gravity and a devotee of black holes, his work has probed the origins of the cosmos, the nature of time and the universe's ultimate fate -- earning him accolades including induction into the Order of the British Empire. To the public, he's best known as an author of bestsellers such as The Universe in a Nutshell and A Brief History of Time, which have brought an appreciation of theoretical physics to millions.

Though the motor neuron disorder ALS has confined Hawking to a wheelchair, it hasn't stopped him from lecturing widely, making appearances on television shows such as Star Trek: The Next Generation and The Simpsons -- and planning a trip into orbit with Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic. (He recently experienced weightlessness aboard Zero Gravity Corporation's "Vomit Comet.") A true academic celebrity, he uses his public appearances to raise awareness about potential global disasters -- such as global warming -- and to speak out for the future of humanity: "Getting a portion of the human race permanently off the planet is imperative for our future as a species," he says.

Hawking serves as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, where he continues to contribute to both high-level physics and the popular understanding of our universe.

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Stephen Hawking | Speaker | TED.com