“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?”
- January 8, 1942 – March 14, 2018
- British
- Theoretical physicist, science writer
- Announced the black hole singularity theorem and Hawking radiation, and contributed to the popularization of science with his book “Talking about the Universe”
Quote
“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?”
Explanation
In this profound quote, Stephen Hawking raises a crucial philosophical and scientific question: What is the source of existence and meaning? While the unified theory (a theory of everything) could, in principle, explain the fundamental workings of the universe through a set of equations and rules, Hawking suggests that this doesn’t explain what gives life to those equations. The idea is that while science can describe the mechanics of the universe, it still leaves open the question of why the universe exists and why it follows these rules.
This line of thought connects deeply with metaphysical and philosophical inquiries about the nature of reality and consciousness. In theoretical physics, there is the possibility of a complete theory of the universe that could encompass everything from quantum mechanics to general relativity. However, even if such a theory could exist, it still wouldn’t explain what makes the universe real or what gives it its structure and order. As Hawking suggests, these equations would be inert without something to imbue them with meaning—something beyond the realm of science.
This quote is often interpreted as a reflection on the limits of science. While science provides a powerful framework to understand how the universe works, it doesn’t necessarily answer why it exists in the first place. For example, consciousness, life, and free will are subjects that remain beyond the scope of the equations of science. Hawking himself often expressed a belief that the laws of physics might explain the structure of the universe but did not answer ultimate existential questions. The quote also touches on the human pursuit of meaning, suggesting that even if we uncover every rule and equation governing the cosmos, the deeper question remains: What gives these rules significance, and what gives rise to existence itself?
