“Our minds work in real time, which begins at the Big Bang and will end, if there is a Big Crunch – which seems unlikely, now, from the latest data showing accelerating expansion. Consciousness would come to an end at a singularity.”
- 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
“Our minds work in real time, which begins at the Big Bang and will end, if there is a Big Crunch – which seems unlikely, now, from the latest data showing accelerating expansion. Consciousness would come to an end at a singularity.”
Explanation
In this quote, Stephen Hawking ties the nature of human consciousness to the cosmological fate of the universe. He starts by suggesting that our minds operate in real time, a concept that links our experience of the present to the broader cosmic timeline, which began with the Big Bang. The Big Bang marks the origin of the universe, and, in Hawking’s view, our consciousness, as a product of the physical universe, is deeply intertwined with this cosmic history. Hawking then speculates about the ultimate fate of consciousness, suggesting that if the universe ends in a Big Crunch—a scenario in which the universe collapses back in on itself—consciousness would come to an end at the singularity, a point of infinite density.
However, Hawking acknowledges that the Big Crunch scenario seems increasingly unlikely in light of recent data showing that the universe’s expansion is accelerating, driven by mysterious dark energy. Instead, the universe may continue expanding indefinitely, leading to a different fate for both the cosmos and consciousness. This view aligns with his understanding of modern cosmology, which posits that the fate of the universe may involve endless expansion, eventually leading to a heat death, where stars burn out and the universe grows cold and dark. Under such a scenario, Hawking suggests that consciousness, like the rest of the universe, would eventually cease to exist, fading as the conditions for life and thought disappear.
Hawking’s exploration of the cosmic connection to consciousness reflects his belief in the materialist view of the mind: that consciousness is a product of the physical brain and, by extension, the physical universe. This view aligns with his broader scientific philosophy, which holds that everything, including the human mind, operates according to natural laws and is bound by the same cosmic processes. As modern cosmology and theories of the multiverse evolve, discussions about the nature of the universe’s beginning and end continue to intersect with philosophical and ethical debates about the meaning of life and the limits of human existence. Ultimately, Hawking’s statement prompts reflection on how our understanding of the universe and its fate shapes our perspective on consciousness, mortality, and human purpose.
