--- title: 10 Questions for Stephen Hawking description: The renowned physicist has a new book, The Grand Design. Stephen Hawking will now take your questions canonical: https://time.com/archive/6597904/10-questions-for-stephen-hawking/ author: Stephen Hawking article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2010-11-15T05:00:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-22T05:58:27.537Z article:section: Science og:title: 10 Questions for Stephen Hawking og:description: The renowned physicist has a new book, The Grand Design. Stephen Hawking will now take your questions og:url: https://time.com/archive/6597904/10-questions-for-stephen-hawking/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 10 Questions for Stephen Hawking twitter:description: The renowned physicist has a new book, The Grand Design. Stephen Hawking will now take your questions twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Science](/section/science/) # 10 Questions for Stephen Hawking by [Stephen Hawking](https://time.com/author/stephen-hawking/) Nov 15, 2010 5:00 AM UTC by [Stephen Hawking](https://time.com/author/stephen-hawking/) Nov 15, 2010 5:00 AM UTC **If God doesn’t exist, why did the concept of his existence become almost universal?** — _Basanta Borah, BASEL, SWITZERLAND_ I don’t claim that God doesn’t exist. God is the name people give to the reason we are here. But I think that reason is the laws of physics rather than someone with whom one can have a personal relationship. An impersonal God. [ (Read an excerpt from _The Grand Design_ .) ](https://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2017262,00.html) **Does the universe end? If so, what is beyond it?** — _Paul Pearson, HULL, ENGLAND_ Observations indicate that the universe is expanding at an ever increasing rate. It will expand forever, getting emptier and darker. Although the universe doesn’t have an end, it had a beginning in the Big Bang. One might ask what is before that, but the answer is that there is nowhere before the Big Bang, just as there is nowhere south of the South Pole. [ (See pictures of Stephen Hawking.) ](https://www.time.com/time/photoessays/10questions/0,30255,2029021,00.html) **Do you think our civilization will survive long enough to make the leap to deeper space?** — _Harvey Bethea, STONE MOUNTAIN, GA._ I think we have a good chance of surviving long enough to colonize the solar system. However, there is nowhere else in the solar system as suitable as the Earth, so it is not clear if we would survive if the Earth was made unfit for habitation. To ensure our long-term survival, we need to reach the stars. That will take much longer. Let’s hope we can last until then. **If you could talk to Albert Einstein, what would you say?** — _Ju Huang, STAMFORD, CONN._ I would ask him why he didn’t believe in black holes. The field equations of his theory of relativity imply that a large star or cloud of gas would collapse in on itself and form a black hole. Einstein was aware of this but somehow managed to convince himself that something like an explosion would always occur to throw off mass and prevent the formation of a black hole. What if there was no explosion? **Which scientific discovery or advance would you like to see in your lifetime?** — _Luca Zanzi, ALLSTON, MASS._ I would like nuclear fusion to become a practical power source. It would provide an inexhaustible supply of energy, without pollution or global warming. [ (See pictures of the world’s most polluted places.) ](https://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1661031%5F1661028,00.html) **What do you believe happens to our consciousness after death?** — _Elliot Giberson, SEATTLE_ I think the brain is essentially a computer and consciousness is like a computer program. It will cease to run when the computer is turned off. Theoretically, it could be re-created on a neural network, but that would be very difficult, as it would require all one’s memories. **Given your reputation as a brilliant physicist, what ordinary interests do you have that might surprise people?** — _Carol Gilmore, JEFFERSON CITY, MO._ I enjoy all forms of music–pop, classical and opera. I also share an interest in Formula One racing with my son Tim. **Do you feel that your physical limitations have helped or hindered your study?** — _Marianne Vikkula, ESPOO, FINLAND_ Although I was unfortunate enough to get motor neuron disease, I have been very fortunate in almost everything else. I was lucky to be working in theoretical physics, one of the few areas in which disability was not a serious handicap, and to hit the jackpot with my popular books. [ (See the 100 best books of all time.) ](https://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/0,28757,1951793,00.html) **Does it feel like a huge responsibility to have people expecting you to have all the answers to life’s mysteries?** — _Susan Leslie, BOSTON_ I certainly don’t have the answers to all life’s problems. While physics and mathematics may tell us how the universe began, they are not much use in predicting human behavior because there are far too many equations to solve. I’m no better than anyone else at understanding what makes people tick, particularly women. **Do you think there will ever come a time when mankind understands all there is to understand about physics?** — _Karsten Kurze, BAD HONNEF, GERMANY_ I hope not. I would be out of a job. [ See TIME’s Pictures of the Week. ](https://www.time.com/time/picturesoftheweek) [ See the Cartoons of the Week. ](https://www.time.com/time/cartoonsoftheweek) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/archive/6597904/10-questions-for-stephen-hawking/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/archive/6597904/10-questions-for-stephen-hawking/"},"headline":"10 Questions for Stephen Hawking","datePublished":"2010-11-15T05:00:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-22T05:58:27.537Z","description":"The renowned physicist has a new book, The Grand Design. 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