Stephen Hawking Says Universe Created from Nothing

mr_3ntropy writes "Speaking to a sold out crowd at the Berkeley Physics Oppenheimer Lecture, Hawking said yesterday that he now believes the universe spontaneously popped into existence from nothing. He said more work is needed to prove this but we have time because 'Eternity is a very long time, especially towards the end.' There is also a Webcast available (Realplayer or Real Alternative required)."

Comments

Re:Out of Nothing Nothing Comes

[Citizen of Earth]

It doesn't interfere with us *at all*. It has no effects or consequences whatsoever. It has no physical existence

Then why did I have to take a bus to work today?

Re:Pfft

[HBI]

It was actually the first few bars of "Rock and Roll" from "the Song Remains the Same".

Re:REAL AUDIO?

[Technician]

It would almost be like if you were there!

This is old news. Why nobody picked up on this earlier is a mystery to me. It has been part of the course material for the Physics for Future Presidents series. The lectures are posted online for anyone to watch. If Real Audio files are a problem for you, do a Google search using the video tab for "Physics for Future Presidents". From there you can view the entire lecture series. In the lessons Universe 1 and Universe 2, the instructor Richard A Muller covers the subject. I mentioned this very subject on Slashdot a while back in the topic regarding man's brain wired for a God. It kind of started a small flame war when I mentioned the universe being created out of nothing seems to match the biblical description of the beginning of the univers. I made the mistake of mentioning on Slashdot, that the possibility the bible may be a history book and the universe and man may have been created. How would the author of the bible have had any knowledge of the origin of the Univers?

Anyway, let's not start a holy war over the physics theory that seems to match in some regards the biblical account. I thought that unlikely match was worth mentioning for evaluation.

The new theory in science and the bible both mention the creation of the Univers out of nothing. Before the creation there was nothing. Don't flame me for using the word "Creation". It is the same word used in the science theory for the name of the origin of the universe. Check out the online physics class if you don't want to take my word.

The link to the physics classes are in this google search. Top two items..
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Physics+for+ future+presidents+Universe&hl=en