This chapter explores Stephen Hawking's life and contributions to physics, touching on personal anecdotes and his impact on the speaker. The episode delves into the question of how much weight we should give to Hawking's views on religion and spirituality, considering his theories about the universe's beginning and its implications for a creator.
What would your life be like if you knew everything? While it would be nice to remember everyone’s names and not have to study for tests, knowing everything has its drawbacks, too. You’d no longer feel surprised, curious, or filled with wonder. And, you'd miss out on getting to know people, asking hard and big questions, and the joy of learning new things.
Our speaker today knows firsthand all the good that not knowing can bring. In fact, he’s made a career out of it. Jonathan Feng (U.C. Irvine) is a theoretical physicist researching one of the biggest unknowns in the scientific world: dark matter. In this Forum event from 2018, Dr. Feng embraces the unknowns of the universe. He discusses how our ignorance can lead us to greater appreciation of the complicated and beautiful world we live in, push us towards humility and curiosity, and, perhaps, help us better know a powerful, creative, loving God.
This Forum was originally titled "The Post Hawking Universe" and was hosted by The Veritas Forum at the University of Southern California.