We were all saddened to learn of the passing of world-renowned astrophysicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking today at the age of 76. What’s particularly melancholy is that a mere ten days before his death, he recorded an interview with another renowned astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson, for Tyson’s series, Star Talk, on National Geographic TV. The episode, which originally aired on March 4th, was released today in a commercial-free version in memory (and celebration of) the legendary Hawking.
His passing has left an intellectual vacuum in his wake. But it’s not empty. Think of it as a kind of vacuum energy permeating the fabric of spacetime that defies measure. Stephen Hawking, RIP 1942-2018. pic.twitter.com/nAanMySqkt
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) March 14, 2018
It’s a fascinating interview, and one of the more interesting question that Tyson asks Hawking is “If we had some way to communicate through time with [Isaac Newton], and tell him about what life is like today, are there any questions, any problems that you would like him to solve?”
What’s interesting is Hawking’s response. He’d ask Newton: “Is a solar system stable? And what happens to a star that cannot support itself against its own gravity?”
As Tyson points out, Hawking doesn’t want to ask Newton for insight into new discoveries. He’s curious about how Newton would answer a question “at the boundary of where [he] left off in his own studies.” The playfulness of Hawking’s response is pretty awesome. It’s like This is stuff I already know, but I want to see how long it would’ve taken you to get there.
Check out the full, uninterrupted episode above, and then tell us below: what do you wish YOU could ask Stephen Hawking about the universe around us?
(via Laughing Squid, image: screencap)
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