Stephen Hawking has said he would consider assisted suicide, especially if he felt as though he’d become a “burden” to his loved ones.
“To keep someone alive against their wishes is the ultimate indignity,” the 73-year-old physicist told comedian Dara O’Briain in an interview that will air on the BBC, according to The Guardian.
He added: “I would consider assisted suicide only if I were in great pain or felt I had nothing more to contribute but was just a burden to those around me.”
Hawking was diagnosed with a motor neuron disease when he was 21 and has used a wheelchair for decades. Still, he believes he has more to add to the world.
“I am damned if I’m going to die before I have unravelled more of the universe,” he said.
This article originally appeared on People.com
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Biden Dropped Out
- Ukraine’s Plan to Survive Trump
- The Rise of a New Kind of Parenting Guru
- The Chaos and Commotion of the RNC in Photos
- Why We All Have a Stake in Twisters’ Success
- 8 Eating Habits That Actually Improve Your Sleep
- Welcome to the Noah Lyles Olympics
- Get Our Paris Olympics Newsletter in Your Inbox
Contact us at letters@time.com