“I had not expected ‘A Brief History of Time’ to be a best seller. It was my first popular book and aroused a great deal of interest. Initially, many people found it difficult to understand. I therefore decided to try to write a new version that would be easier to follow.”
- 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
“I had not expected ‘A Brief History of Time’ to be a best seller. It was my first popular book and aroused a great deal of interest. Initially, many people found it difficult to understand. I therefore decided to try to write a new version that would be easier to follow.”
Explanation
In this quote, Stephen Hawking reflects on the unexpected success of his groundbreaking popular science book, “A Brief History of Time”. First published in 1988, the book aimed to explain the complex concepts of cosmology, black holes, and the nature of the universe to a general audience. Despite its success, Hawking acknowledges that the book was initially challenging for many readers, particularly those without a background in physics or mathematics. The technical nature of some of the concepts, along with its abstract discussions about the Big Bang, space-time, and the nature of reality, made it difficult for some readers to fully engage with the material.
The statement also sheds light on Hawking’s commitment to accessibility and his belief in the importance of making science understandable to everyone, not just experts. After the success of the book, Hawking sought to create a revised version that would be easier to follow, reflecting his dedication to bridging the gap between cutting-edge scientific ideas and public understanding. This revision, which came out as an updated edition in the 1990s, was intended to clarify some of the more complex ideas from the original text, making the wonders of the universe more accessible to a wider audience.
Hawking’s achievement with “A Brief History of Time” is notable not just because it became a bestseller, but because it helped to ignite an era of public interest in cosmology and theoretical physics. The book brought scientific literacy into the mainstream and demonstrated that complex ideas about the universe could be made engaging and understandable to people outside the scientific community. In many ways, Hawking’s effort to simplify these profound ideas reflects his broader belief in the potential of human curiosity and the ability of science to inspire and educate, regardless of one’s background.
