Hawking's Universe - Steve Paikin
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- Published on Friday, 25 June 2010 07:19
- Written by John Draper
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On the occasion of Stephen Hawking's visit to Canada, Steve Paikin of Ontario TV Channel TVO assembled six theoretical physicists to talk about "Hawking's Universe". Hawking is the most respected physicist alive in the world today and has made major contributions to the world of physics - particularly with regard to the origin of the universe via the big bang. Like most scientists, he is non-believer and he says that the question that believers should be asking is where did the world come from but why is it here. But as pointed out by the physicists in the video, there are some questions that science cannot answer - at least not yet.
TVO presented a full length live presentation by Stephen Hawking on TV late June with repeats early July. Although Hawkings suffers from a debilitating disease (neuromuscular dystrophy) which keeps him in a wheel chair - he can only speak using a computer so listening to him directly is hard work. More about the presentation here. However, Prior to this, Steve Paikin invited six physicists to his panel show, the Agenda. The full program was an hour long but I have made an excerpt featuring 2 topics only: The Big Bang and Is there other intelligent life in the Universe. At no point in the program is god mentioned - why would there be? There is absolutely no need to mention god even when 7 of the smartest people in the world are talking about the origins of the Universe. (Why 7? Interviewer Steve Paikin is one of the smartest interviewers on TV). However, theists watching this clip could rationalize their thinking without too much trouble. Physicists are smart enough to know that they should not actually come out and tell everyone watching, including their financial backers, that they are wrong about religion.
Featured are:
- Janna Levin - Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Barnard College N.Y.
- Marcelo Glusier - Professor of natural Philosophy at Dartmouth College
- Raymond LaFlamme - Director of Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo
- Neil Turok - Director of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
- Lawrence Krauss - Foundation Professor in the school of Earth & Space Exploration at Arizona State University
- Lee Simolin - Theoretical Physicist and faculty member at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics