Be Motivated By Stephen Hawking

''Time travel used to be thought of as just science fiction, but Einstein's general theory of relativity allows for the possibility that we could warp space-time so much that you could go off in a rocket and return before you set out.''

"Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious."

"My goal is simple. It is a complete understanding of the universe, why it is as it is and why it exists at all."

"However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at."

"Most sets of values would give rise to universes that, although they might be very beautiful, would contain no one able to wonder at that beauty."

"Maybe I don't have the most common kind of motor neuron disease, which usually kills in two or three years."

"To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit."

"Even if there is only one possible unified theory, it is just a set of rules and equations. What is it that breathes fire into the equations and makes a universe for them to describe?"

"There are grounds for cautious optimism that we may now be near the end ofthe search for the ultimate laws of nature."

"The usual approach of science of constructing a mathematical model cannot answer the questions of why there should be a universe for the model to describe. Why does the universe go to all the bother of existing?"

"The whole history of science has been the gradual realization that events do not happen in an arbitrary manner, but that they reflect a certain underlying order, which may or may not be divinely inspired."

"Someone told me that each equation I included in the book would halve the sales."

"It is not clear that intelligence has any long-term survival value."

"Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change."

"One cannot really argue with a mathematical theorem."

"If we do discover a complete theory, it should be in time understandable in broad principle by everyone. Then we shall all, philosophers, scientists, and just ordinary people be able to take part in the discussion of why we and the universe exist."

"It is no good getting furious if you get stuck. What I do is keep thinking about the problem but work on something else. Sometimes it is years before I see the way forward. In the case of information loss and black holes, it was 29 years."

"There are too many accidents that can befall life on a single planet."

"You can’t regulate every lab in the world."

"We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet."

"Science predicts that many different kinds of universe will be spontaneously created out of nothing. It is a matter of chance which we are in."

"We should seek the greatest value of our action."

"Philosophers have not kept up with modern developments in science. Particularly physics."

"Scientists have become the bearers of the torch of discovery in our quest for knowledge."

"Obviously, because of my disability, I need assistance. But I have always tried to overcome the limitations of my condition and lead as full a life as possible. I have traveled the world, from the Antarctic to zero gravity."

"Using e-mail, I can communicate with scientists all over the world."

"I believe in universal health care. And I am not afraid to say so."

"There is no unique picture of reality."

"The radiation left over from the Big Bang is the same as that in your microwave oven but very much less powerful. It would heat your pizza only to minus 271.3*C - not much good for defrosting the pizza, let alone cooking it."

"Observations indicate that the universe is expanding at an ever increasing rate. It will expand forever, getting emptier and darker."

"Time travel used to be thought of as just science fiction, but Einstein's general theory of relativity allows for the possibility that we could warp space-time so much that you could go off in a rocket and return before you set out."

"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."

"Science is not only a disciple of reason but, also, one of romance and passion."

"Theology is unnecessary."

"I believe everyone should have a broad picture of how the universe operates and our place in it. It is a basic human desire. And it also puts our worries in perspective."

"We are in danger of destroying ourselves by our greed and stupidity. We cannot remain looking inwards at ourselves on a small and increasingly polluted and overcrowded planet."

"My work and my family are very important to me."

"Among physicists, I'm respected I hope."

"With genetic engineering, we will be able to increase the complexity of our DNA, and improve the human race. But it will be a slow process, because one will have to wait about 18 years to see the effect of changes to the genetic code."

"There is a real danger that computers will develop intelligence and take over. We urgently need to develop direct connections to the brain so that computers can add to human intelligence rather than be in opposition."

"I don't want to write an autobiography because I would become public property with no privacy left."

"I would like nuclear fusion to become a practical power source. It would provide an inexhaustible supply of energy, without pollution or global warming."

"When we understand string theory, we will know how the universe began. It won't have much effect on how we live, but it is important to understand where we come from and what we can expect to find as we explore."