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| This book attempts to bring
theoretical physics down to the common lay person. Well,
a common layperson with a really good grasp of
mathematics, physics and the universe at least. I read
this book to discover what this very intelligent
scientist has come to understand about God through his
research. To his credit, Hawking does not simply dismiss the possibility of divine intervention in the affairs of the human race, but neither does he endorse a literal interpretation of the Bible. He shows, objectively, how a supernatural being could fit within the theories of origins as espoused by modern science. Interestingly, he comes to no definite conclusions. He proposes two possibilities: That the universe has a definite beginning and end; and that the universe is a closed system without specific beginning nor end. In the former case, he shows that God may have "wound the clock" and "made the rules" but that subsequently he has not intervened. Not that he's never communicated with people, but rather that he plays by his own rules. In the latter case the universe would simply "be" with no need of a creator. He doesn't take these arguments much further, but concludes that if we do find a grand unifying theory -- an "equation" so to speak that describes the operation of the universe -- "it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason -- for then we would know the mind of God." The chapter on the direction of time was perhaps the most interesting. Hawkings demonstrates that we have to perceive time in the direction of increasing entropy, and that -- in a universe that expands then eventually contracts -- intelligent life (and therefore the perception of time) can only exist during the expanding phase. Some other interesting theories include the fact that, contrary to popular belief, black holes aren't completely "black" -- they give off radiation. He also shows that the total sum of energy in the universe is zero. An interesting, if difficult, book to read. And even more difficult to summarize. |
A Brief History
of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes