Name: Tanishq Khandelwal's review of Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking
Item: Brief Answers to the Big Questions
Rating: 3
Author: Tanishq Khandelwal

Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking was recognized as one of the greatest minds of our time and a figure of inspiration after defying his ALS diagnosis at age twenty-one. He is known for both his breakthroughs in theoretical physics as well as his ability to make complex concepts accessible for all, and was beloved for his mischievous sense of humor. At the time of his death, Hawking was working on a final project: a book compiling his answers to the "big" questions that he was so often posed--questions that ranged beyond his academic field. Within these pages, he provides his personal views on our biggest challenges as a human race, and where we, as a planet, are heading next. Each section will be introduced by a leading thinker offering his or her own insight into Professor Hawking's contribution to our understanding. The book will also feature a foreword from Academy Award winning actor Eddie Redmayne, who portrayed Hawking in the film The Theory of Everything, and an afterword by Hawking's daughter, Lucy Hawking, as well as personal photographs and additional archival material.

Brief Answers to the Big Questions

Hanie

every new day became a bonus, and I began to appreciate everything I did have

When you are faced with the possibility of an early death, it makes you realise that there are lots of things you want to do before your life is over.

THE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'A beautiful little book by a brilliant mind' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Effortlessly instructive, absorbing, up to the minute and - where it matters - witty' GUARDIAN The world-famous cosmologist and #1 bestselling author of A Brief History of Time leaves us with his final thoughts on the universe's biggest questions in this brilliant posthumous work. Is there a God? How did it all begin? Can we predict the future? What is inside a black hole? Is there other intelligent life in the universe? Will artificial intelligence outsmart us? How do we shape the future? Will we survive on Earth? Should we colonise space? Is time travel possible? Throughout his extraordinary career, Stephen Hawking expanded our understanding of the universe and unravelled some of its greatest mysteries. But even as his theoretical work on black holes, imaginary time and multiple histories took his mind to the furthest reaches of space, Hawking always believed that science could also be used to fix the problems on our planet. And now, as we face potentially catastrophic changes here on Earth - from climate change to dwindling natural resources to the threat of artificial super-intelligence - Stephen Hawking turns his attention to the most urgent issues for humankind. Wide-ranging, intellectually stimulating, passionately argued, and infused with his characteristic humour, Brief Answers to the Big Questions, the final book from one of the greatest minds in history, is a personal view on the challenges we face as a human race, and where we, as a planet, are heading next. A percentage of all royalties will go to charity.

The Final Book from Stephen Hawking

Ang Xuan Yi

Tanishq Khandelwal

Big questions, explained with clarity and wonder. Science Book.

Timeo Williams

I found Stephen's answers to many of. The questions lacking in depth. However, the book overall was good.

I’ve always been interested in ‘big questions’ but the analogies in this book made it possible for me to comprehend their answers. Not only does this book make science accessible, it also provided a look into the mind of Stephen. Both brilliant and inspiring, while even getting a giggle out of me every few pages.

Indi

Brief Answers to the Big Questions adalah karya terakhir milik Stephen Hawking yang berisi ringkasan pembahasan penelitiannya tentang 10 pertanyaan besar. Selain merumuskan kesimpulan berdasarkan logika sains, buku ini juga membahas sedikit kisah kehidupan Hawking.

Penjelasan Hawking mengenai konsep-konsep alam semesta yang rumit dan mind-blowing tersampaikan dengan sangat lugas dan cukup sederhana untuk dipahami—particularly in analogies he uses. Dengan latar belakang filsafat, pertanyaan–jawaban Hawking menjadi semakin menarik. 

In my opinion, buku ini mengarah pada beberapa pengulangan ide dan konsep, tetapi tak terlalu banyak sehingga mengganggu fokus. Bahkan, dalam kompleksitas sejarah masa lalu, black hole, dan kehidupan alien—sejumlah pengulangan ini jadi sangat membantu penerapan informasi daripada menggurui atau membuat otak frustrasi.

Meskipun dia memperingatkan risiko pertumbuhan teknologi dan "conscious" AI, serta merusak bumi melalui pemanasan global atau perang nuklir, buku ini cukup "memiliki harapan" dan visioner dalam keberlangsungan masa depan umat manusia.

Bagi yang ingin tahu lebih banyak tentang alam semesta serta batas-batasnya, past and future, bahkan fisika kuantum, Hawking berhasil mengambil topik yang kompleks dan membuatnya terasa mudah dipahami. Jawaban singkat tetapi juga sangat luas.

I love science and a look into brilliant minds.

This book brings that and even got a giggle from me.

Rabia Sitabi

I love science and a look into brilliant minds.

This book brings that and even got a giggle from me.

matej yangwao

** spoiler alert **
           I guess investing into high efficiency science is on point, same to be aware not being enslaved by AI and investing into teaching AI ethics. 

I'm confident we will habit planets at least in our Solar system in upcoming hundred years due technology progress been made over last 100 years it's clearly coming. 

Only big question left in the room if we figure out resources management on the planet and avoid any major disease and disaster we have in control. 

One that's out of our control, like asteroids or solar flares it's hard to tell we will win. 

Human genes are here to stay if we manage risks.

Can't predict whenever I finish this book because quantum dog want go on walk


>The revolution of our planet obeys natural laws. Moreover, natural laws can’t be broken by anyone. This means that God would have to obey the laws. Theology diverges at this point with its assertion of divine omnipotence.To bridge the gap between religious definitions and scientific definitions of God, we need to see God and these universal laws as one and the same.This would mean defining God as the laws of nature itself rather than a conscious being who is responsible for its creation.

>He found that space and time are not exactly separate distinct entities, but are connected to each other in a unique way we call space–time. This fabric is the basis for the existence of the universe. High gravity regions, like we have in a black hole, can alter the space–time fabric. This alteration can be so violent that time stops altogether.

>If Earth exists, then we cannot rule out the possibility of other lifeforms outside this terrestrial ball.

>The earliest fossil evidence we have that proves that there is life on this planet dates back to 3.5 billion years ago. The earth had been habitable 500 million years before that time. When the earth was formed, we gathered that the universe was already 7 billion years old. This proves that an entire civilization could have come and gone long before our planet came into existence.

>There is enough time in the universe for alien life to have existed and disappeared. This brings us to the next question—are there other planets that can sustain life?

>Explosions of stars are not the only threat alien life faces. We lost dinosaurs to a small asteroid that crashed into Earth some 66 million years ago. Normally, estimates show that these collisions should be expected once every 20 million years. That means we have been extremely lucky on this planet. Others might not have been so lucky. Hence, the seemingly non–existent alien life.

>Is it possible to predict the future? What would you do if you knew how you were going to die? All of these are prospects that sound interesting if they were possible. From the general sense of things, no one knows for certain when they will die or what the winning lottery numbers will be. However, there is a sense in which this is theoretically possible.

>Pierre–Simon Laplace is a French scientist that argued the possibility of predicting the future. He said if the positions and speeds of all the particles in the universe at a given time were known, then it is possible to estimate where they would be at a time in the future.

>This argument was dealt a heavy blow in the twentieth century when Werner Heisenberg, a German physicist presented what came to be known as the Uncertainty principle. Werner found that light waves are in packets called quanta. Therefore, it is impossible to measure both the position and speed of a particle at the same time. This discovery forced physics to see the world differently. This new view of the world is seen in the form of the theory of quantum mechanics, which is extremely complex.

>Quantum mechanics represent particles as wave functions rather than defining their specific position and speed. The wave function has a size which provides a probabilistic idea of where the particle will be found in space. By measuring the variations of the wave function between two points in space, it is possible to estimate the speed of the particle.

>Particles do not have a clearly defined position and speed in quantum mechanics.

>One of the problems that quantum mechanics presents is that we can only predict half of the information that classical science provides. For instance, we can predict the position to a degree of certainty but not the speed, whereas in classical science, we can define both parameters clearly for the particle to work out its wave function. Not only that, quantum theories break down in black holes and other places where the space–time continuum becomes altered.

Lord Aragorn

A quick but interesting read. Great to read the views of one of the greatest minds of our times.

Matteo

Easy book to read for everyone, if you ever wondered what happens inside the mind of Steven Hawking, this is the book for you

Completely brilliant and witty explanations to the questions we’re all asking. 

2 hoofdstukken waren echt deprimerend, op de rest heb ik echt een crush

Jasper 

Neil Murray

Easy, quick and thought-provoking read. Repetitive at times (due to the fact that it was pieced together after his death), but overall, this was a great collection of some of Hawking’s more contemporary thoughts on the “big questions”.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'A beautiful little book by a brilliant mind' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Effortlessly instructive, absorbing, up to the minute and - where it matters - witty' GUARDIAN The world-famous cosmologist and #1 bestselling author of A Brief History of Time leaves us with his final thoughts on the universe's biggest questions in this brilliant posthumous work. Is there a God? How did it all begin? Can we predict the future? What is inside a black hole? Is there other intelligent life in the universe? Will artificial intelligence outsmart us? How do we shape the future? Will we survive on Earth? Should we colonise space? Is time travel possible? Throughout his extraordinary career, Stephen Hawking expanded our understanding of the universe and unravelled some of its greatest mysteries. But even as his theoretical work on black holes, imaginary time and multiple histories took his mind to the furthest reaches of space, Hawking always believed that science could also be used to fix the problems on our planet. And now, as we face potentially catastrophic changes here on Earth - from climate change to dwindling natural resources to the threat of artificial super-intelligence - Stephen Hawking turns his attention to the most urgent issues for humankind. Wide-ranging, intellectually stimulating, passionately argued, and infused with his characteristic humour, BRIEF ANSWERS TO THE BIG QUESTIONS, the final book from one of the greatest minds in history, is a personal view on the challenges we face as a human race, and where we, as a planet, are heading next. A percentage of all royalties will go to charity.

Raihan Khan

Okay well, I would have rated it 3 stars but the one extra star is just for the spark it gave me to be more into space-time. I don't know why all astrophysicist and cosmologist deny the existence of the Holy God (maybe not all but those that I know ). the more I get into cosmology and space science the more I realize that 'they' do not believe in the existence of holy God. Okay well, we are humans and we picture God as a man with a long beard and white complexion sitting on the throne. in the same way, if any other specie would think of God they will picture Him like them. the birds will picture God like a bird, horses will picture him like a horse, apes like an ape etc. but the reality is that God can not be pictured.
The very first question Hawking asked "Is there any God? I simply wrote under it with a pencil 'without any doubts but let's see your insights as well Mr Hawking'. 'that's enough of an answer huh.
He even described that "nothing can come out of nothing" then how can such an infinite universe came out of nothing.
well in his book "A Brief History of Time" he said the universe is self-regulatory I agree with it that the universe is self-regulatory but not that this self-regulatory universe came out of almost nothing and that no one created it is just something that a normal human being like myself can not believe.
there is a limit to everything our senses, for example, we can hear someone not to far away from us but if someone is far away we can not hear him properly that's a hearing limit. we can see what's in front of us but not that is beyond our sight or on the backside of a wall. 
In the same way, Allah has put a limit on our minds we can think of him but up till a certain limit and not beyond it and when we try to overthink we fail. that's why most of the astrophysicist and cosmologists fails too accept the existence of God because they are trying to cross the limit that God has put on their minds.
Don't be crazy guys. you are very right about everything you say and write but not 'this one' huh.

Guy Moorhouse

Enjoyed this, but don’t feel I learnt much beyond what I read in a Brief History of Time years ago. Would recommend if you’ve not read any Hawking before though.

brendan sudol

best book i’ve read in awhile - a rare combo of educational and entertaining

Emily fowler

For the record this rating is because I'm too dumb for the book

Vitali Avagyan

Victoria Simansjah

Hawking has a way to describe complex items to digestable and easy to understand. The book itself uncovers questions from evolution, black holes, and the future of artificial intelligence. Bingeworthy read.

Tanishq Khandelwal &
Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking

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Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking