“Throughout history, people have studied pure science from a desire to understand the universe rather than practical applications for commercial gain. But their discoveries later turned out to have great practical benefits.”
- 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
“Throughout history, people have studied pure science from a desire to understand the universe rather than practical applications for commercial gain. But their discoveries later turned out to have great practical benefits.”
Explanation
In this quote, Stephen Hawking highlights a key feature of pure science—the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, driven by curiosity and the desire to understand the underlying principles of the universe. Historically, many of the most significant scientific breakthroughs began as theoretical explorations with no immediate thought to their practical applications. The example of Isaac Newton, who formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation without the goal of building a space shuttle or designing modern technology, is a prime example. Over time, however, these discoveries have found unexpected and transformative uses, from revolutionizing engineering to enabling space exploration.
Hawking’s remark reflects his belief that scientific inquiry, when it is driven by a search for truth and not by immediate commercial interest, often leads to advancements that have far-reaching, sometimes unforeseen, consequences. The discovery of electromagnetism, for example, was initially the subject of abstract study but later led to the development of telecommunications, computers, and medical devices. Similarly, Einstein’s theory of special relativity, which was conceived as a theoretical exploration of space and time, has since played a key role in the development of GPS technology.
In modern times, the pursuit of fundamental research continues to yield innovations that shape our daily lives, even when their practical applications are not immediately apparent. For example, quantum mechanics, once a purely theoretical field, is now the foundation of emerging technologies like quantum computing and quantum encryption. Hawking’s words remind us that the true value of scientific knowledge often lies not in its immediate usefulness, but in its ability to open doors to new possibilities, benefiting humanity in ways that cannot always be predicted at the outset.
