Blockbuster.co.uk's Marshall Julius catches up with the foremost academic celebrity of our time, Professor Stephen Hawking.
There's no time for small talk when you're face-to-face with the smartest man on the planet. In the solar system, even. You can't just ask him what he thought of Disney's
The Black Hole. Not when he's so busy figuring out the meaning of life, the universe and everything. A world-renowned theoretical physicist best known for his appearances on
The Simpsons and
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Professor Stephen Hawking has also enjoyed some success with his brainy best-seller A Brief History of Time. Now 66, the brilliant Brit kindly consented to share the contents of his enormous brain in order to properly promote his thrilling new DVD,
Steven Hawking - Theory of Everything, available now to add to your list.
Nothing dates like a science book. Twenty years after the original publication of A Brief History of Time, I wondered which of Hawking's ideas have changed, and how new theories and discoveries - such as the growing evidence of dark matter and dark energy - have affected the picture?
"A Brief History of Time was ahead of its time and painted a picture of the universe that has largely been confirmed by recent observations," says Hawking. "The one major surprise that wasn't foreshadowed in the original edition was dark energy which causes the expansion of the universe to speed up, rather than slow down. However this has been corrected in later editions."
Hawking continued by describing his own personal relationship with time. "I have wondered about time all my life. My Scientific work has been about time, its beginning, the Big Bang and Black Holes. That is why I called my popular book A Brief History of Time. But I have also been very conscious of time in a more personal sense: I have lived most of my life in the expectation of an early death, so time has always been very precious to me. I have so much I want to do. I hate wasting time."
Millions bought the book, but it's been often described as an 'unread bestseller' because of all those who either never started it or managed to finish it. Were they expecting too much of Hawking? Was he, in turn, expecting too much of them?
"I wrote A Brief History of Time in a rush of enthusiasm to explain the universe but maybe I was not as clear as I might have been. I know some people found the original book difficult to understand. I therefore wrote a simpler version, A Briefer History of Time. I hope those who found A Brief History of Time difficult will find A Briefer History of Time easier."
Hawking concluded A Brief History of Time by stating that if we ever do discover a complete Theory of Everything, that it would be the 'ultimate triumph of human reason', and that 'we would know the mind of God'. I was curious to learn how the professor responded to those who believe there are some things we're better off not knowing.
"Throughout history people have argued that knowledge is dangerous and that we would be better left in ignorance. But if we had followed their advice, we would still be in the middle ages without modern medicine or communications. One can not limit the enquiries of the mind without destroying the creative spirit that makes us human."
Can we really be sure there is a 'Theory of Everything' to be discovered? If so, are we close to any definitive answers? "All our experience is that the universe obeys well defined laws that we can discover and understand," explains Hawking. "In fact, we have already discovered the laws that hold for everything except the most extreme conditions, like the beginning of the universe or the centres of black holes. So it is not unreasonable to hope we may be close to the Theory of Everything."
On a personal note, Hawking undertook a weightless flight in 2007. I wondered if he was still planning to go into space on Richard Branson's impending Virgin Galactic flight? "I believe the human race's long term future is in space," he replied, "so I'm keen to experience it myself. It will be a real adventure. I just hope I can handle the acceleration forces involved."
As physically fragile as he is academically mighty, I was curious to what extent motor neurone disease had been a galvanising force in Hawking's life? "I don't have much positive to say about motor neurone disease," says the professor, "but it taught me not to pity myself because others were worse off, and to get on with what I still could do. I'm happier now than before I developed the condition." Happier, and fearless with it. "I'm not afraid of death," he states, "but I'm in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first."
Hawking has written that we live in a strange and wonderful universe. Science can help reveal those strange wonders - so why are schools, colleges and universities finding it increasingly difficult to engage young people in matters of science? What's gone wrong?
"Science was in fashion in the Sixties with the Space Race and maybe aroused unrealistic expectations that it would solve all the World's problems," answers the professor. "When this was found not to be the case, people were disappointed and reacted against science. But now there is renewed enthusiasm for space, and hopefully it will spread to an interest in science generally. It is the Future."
Does Hawking feel optimistic, then, about the future of the human race? How important are we, in the grand scheme of things? "The human race may be the only intelligent beings in the galaxy," he concludes. "We have not been visited by aliens and we have not even picked up their television programmes. It is therefore important that we survive and continue and the only way we can do that long term is to spread into space."
Time to pack our bags, then. See you in the future.