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In the continental US there is a special on about him.  (discovery channel, Sunday night) The smartest person on Earth?   I will watch & hope to learn something!   His work as a physicist seems top tie in beautifully with this art form.   (Hope this was right place to post this)  :angel1:  His discoveries/work is "fooder" for the fractal artist!

I love hawkins! I heard that he was the one who figured out what goes on at the edge of a black hole - at the quantum level - and this made the first link between quantum and classic mechanics. But he then got stuck for an answer explaining why gravity is a much weaker as a force compared to the other forces. - Thats where string theory comes in....

there is a two part documentary on him called "master of the universe" each part is about 50 mins long and can be watched any time...

http://www.youtube.com/show/masteroftheuniverse

According to their website's Daily Schedule:
    http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-schedules/daily.html
the following is what will be showing:


How the Universe Works
Big Bang
8:00 pm EDT (60 minutes)

This is the greatest story ever told, the creation of everything us. The programme investigates how the Universe came into existence out of nothing, and how it grew from a miniscule point, smaller than an atomic particle, to the vast cosmos we see today.


Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking
Aliens
9:00 pm EDT (60 minutes)

"Are We Alone?" An eye-popping journey from the moons of Jupiter to a galaxy perhaps not so far, far away in search of alien life. We'll see what aliens might look like, question what it means to be alive, and calculate the odds of making 'contact'.


Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking
Time Travel
10:00 pm EDT (60 minutes)

"Is Time Travel Possible?" Hawking explores the world's favorite scientific 'what if?' warping the very fabric of time and space as he goes. From killing your grandfather to riding a black hole, see how time travel may actually come true.


How the Universe Works
Big Bang
11:00 pm EDT (60 minutes)

This is the greatest story ever told, the creation of everything us. The programme investigates how the Universe came into existence out of nothing, and how it grew from a miniscule point, smaller than an atomic particle, to the vast cosmos we see today.
 

in ist actual discussion he states that aliens are not nice, and that we shall keep calm so that they wouldnt destroy us...

i think large distance travel is nearly impossible, and if, consider what would happen if a militarical civilization like us would discover live, e.g. on alpha centauri !?
so, we had a sonar satellite send to them, and we know there are people, what does hawkin thinks we would do !??! send a star cruiser loaded with millions of weapons
to them ?!?! i think he has read far too many science fiction stories ...

And let us not forget his Greatest Accomplishment:

He got to play himself on an episode of Star Trek!!

No other scientists have received that particular distinction  O0

He even got to poke fun at Albert Einstein in the scene  :evil1:

I pondered when actual science was left for syfi?  (after watching the aliens special)  Not thrilled with the warning part.  Can anyone tell which images are computer generated  VS hubble tele?
Teamfresh thanks for the You-Tube link!

no problem

If anyone is interested in hawkins life story its well worth a look...

not science-fiction, just our own history.

Why do we explore new territory ?
exploitation, minning, territory expension, ...

I believe he stated if "aliens" were capable of traveling to our planet, then they would be so far superior over us that we would seem very primitive to them.  And therefore, just another civilization to conquer and take over, or to eradicate.  But that was based upon the human history of destructive behavior.


I think he reads more history than science fiction to make the statements he did.  Just look at what we have already done to fellow human beings:

• Spanish vs. Mayans/Aztecs/etc.
• Europeans/Americans vs. American Natives
• Hitler vs. the Jews
• Slavery
• Genocide

Maybe there will finally be an end to what humans do to each other when December 2012 gets here.
   :evil1:   :nastyteeth:
 

I believe this is a series of shows that are running on Sundays:

Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking
The Story of Everything
May 02, 9:00 pm EDT (60 minutes)

The world's most famous living scientist presents the wonders of the universe, revealing the splendor and majesty of the cosmos as never seen before.  See how the universe began, how it creates stars, black holes and life -- and how everything will end.
 

How everything will end?  Or begin again with another "Big Bang"  BTW if anyone here is interested in more of this "type" of discussion/debate (& then some) :) you can find it here!  http://www.eons.com/groups/group/r-u-ponderingwhat-im-pondering

I read a few of his books a few years ago:  "The Universe in a Nutshell," "A Brief History of Time," and a few of his scientific papers.  He has some really good ideas concerning astrophysics, but I don't agree with his chronology protection conjecture. :-\

If anyone wants to read some of his paper here's a link:
http://arxiv.org/find/grp_physics/1/au:+Hawking_Stephen/0/1/0/all/0/1

Have fun ^-^

Thanks BrulalToad! I put the link on my favorites.  :)

Thank you for linking something that works :)
For some reason, the youtube videos don't seem to allow Austria....
I really wonder why certain videos would be limited to certain countries but those are the very view that I am not allowed to watch here :-\

But the papers work just fine :)

Pondering some more on Hawking.. He is a scientist. Yet he aslo seems to be a philosopher. I seem to be having trouble distinguishing were one ends (the scientist) & the philosopher begins. Anyone else? :hmh:

I'm both!

Degrees in Chemistry and Philosophy.

Of course, the Philosophy degree was an accident...

I was taking Philosophy electives, and one day noticed that there were none left!  So I just paid the Graduation Fee, and got the Degree.  :educated:

There does not need to be a distinction anyhow.

The Degree named PhD (Doctorate) literally means Philosopher's Degree, yet it is most commonly given to Scientists.

Math courses are in the Arts department, not Science.

The distinction is merely for show.  Really you can't have one without the other...

A scientist who is not a philosopher is like a body without a mind.
While science is mind-driven, more or less, just plainly searching for results without interpreting them wont work.
Any scientist who is regarded as good and probably also most of the less well known ones are philosophic.

Also, philosophy is the root of all sience.
A philosopher is a "friend of thinking". Philosophers were the first to wonder about the world and how it works. They then eventually splitted up into several kinds of science and art.

Math in the Art department? Fitting :) Real higher maths are rather a kind of art than anything else :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9wunjbyeHk

Well said!  However I do not think as much about philosophers who are NOT scientists.  Just a lot of "in theory" talk.  It seems like until; Newton came along that's what they wwere all about.

Socratease I have seen the original Monty Python video of that.   LOVE IT!  The addition of Hawking is Priceless!

Well, there are enough "in theory"-scientists as well ;)

Very true... BUUUT... they do have more motivation to prove their theories.  Kinda makes them more credible as scientists.

Has he changed his mind?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7979211/Has-Stephen-Hawking-ended-the-God-debate.html

That debate will never end.

There is only one thing I can say with Certainty about the relationship between Humanity and God : One Created The Other!

And only one thing I can say with Certainty about God : Her Nose is Too Big!

Nice article, BWA :)

And some of the comments below it are interesting too.

This whole subject reminds me of why I wanted to become a theoretical physicist in the first place.  Personally, I feel that Stephen Hawking has been doing science with the intentions of profit in mind.  He is a very intelligent man, but it has gone to his big brainy head a little, and he has the right to be that way.  His research has shed light into many areas of science that few other have explored.

As for M-theory, I am kind of hesitant to jump on that particular wagon at this time. :-\

As Sockratease said the debate will never end.   1st of all we would ALL have to agree on same definition of god.  BrutalToad .. not sure about the "profit " thing... buuut I do believe his intellect has gone to his head!  lol  Thank you   :embarrass:  have the same conversation going on in my "ponderings" group.