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
- What Student Photojournalists Saw at the Campus Protests
- How Far Trump Would Go
- Why Maternity Care Is Underpaid
- Saving Seconds Is Better Than Hours
- Welcome to the Golden Age of Ryan Gosling
- Scientists Are Finding Out Just How Toxic Your Stuff Is
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com