“God not only plays dice, but also sometimes throws them where they cannot be seen.”
- 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
“God not only plays dice, but also sometimes throws them where they cannot be seen.”
Explanation
In this quote, Stephen Hawking builds on a famous statement made by Albert Einstein who, in his critique of quantum mechanics, famously said, “God does not play dice with the universe.” Einstein’s remark was a rejection of the randomness and indeterminacy that quantum mechanics appeared to introduce into the laws of physics. For Einstein, the universe was orderly and governed by deterministic laws, even at the quantum level. However, Hawking’s response takes the opposite view—acknowledging the fundamental role of randomness in nature.
By suggesting that “God not only plays dice, but also sometimes throws them where they cannot be seen,” Hawking embraces the probabilistic nature of quantum theory, where events at the smallest scales cannot be predicted with absolute certainty, only in terms of probabilities. This reflects the idea that the universe, at its most fundamental level, is governed by uncertainty and randomness—a concept that contrasts sharply with the classical, deterministic worldview that dominated earlier physics.
Hawking’s addition of “sometimes throws them where they cannot be seen” adds a layer of complexity to this view, acknowledging that there may be aspects of reality that are fundamentally hidden from our direct observation. This ties into his broader ideas about the limits of human knowledge and understanding, especially regarding the quantum realm, where phenomena occur that cannot be directly observed or measured in a way that provides complete insight. This uncertainty is not just in the behavior of particles, but also in our ability to fully understand the universe at the deepest level. In essence, Hawking’s quote points to the idea that while we may never be able to predict or fully comprehend the chaotic nature of reality, it is precisely this unpredictability that makes the universe fascinating and worth studying.
By embracing both quantum uncertainty and the hidden nature of reality, Hawking’s quote challenges the deterministic view of the universe and underscores the idea that randomness is an inherent part of the fabric of existence, shaping both the cosmos and the ongoing quest for scientific understanding.
