We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet.
Stephen HawkingRead
Any physical theory is always provisional, in the sense that it is only a hypothesis: you can never prove it. No matter how many times the results of experiments agree with some theory, you can never be sure that the next time the result will not contradict the theory.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Scientific theories are never definitive and remain as hypotheses subject to change based on new evidence.
Stephen Hawking's quote emphasizes the provisional nature of scientific theories, highlighting that no matter how often experimental results align with a particular theory, they can never be fully proven. This underscores the dynamic and evolving nature of scientific understanding, where new evidence could always emerge to challenge established notions.
Themes
ScienceTheoryHypothesisEvidenceExperimentation
In practice
Example use cases
In a classroom discussion about the scientific method, this quote can highlight the importance of questioning and revising theories.
More from Stephen Hawking
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It surprises me how disinterested we are today about things like physics, space, the universe and philosophy of our existence, our purpose, our final destination. Its a crazy world out there. Be curious.
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I was not a good student. I did not spend much time at college; I was too busy enjoying myself.
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The world has changed far more in the past 100 years than in any other century in history. The reason is not political or economic but technological-technologies that flowed directly from advances in basic science. Clearly, no scientist better represents those advances than Albert Einstein: TIME's Person of the Century.
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In my opinion, there is no aspect of reality beyond the reach of the human mind.
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