Thoughts on the Book 'Brief Answers to the Big Questions' (Ch. 7)

Hawking postulates, "The clock and its movements are, of course, entirely symbolic but I feel compelled to point out that such an alarming warning from other scientists, prompted at least in part by the election of Donald Trump, must be taken seriously.” This statement stood out to me because I agree that the election of Donald Trump as president was terrible and it felt like it is speeding up the end of the world.

Hawking also states, “It is without a doubt the case that our world is more politically unstable than at any time in my memory.” The first memory I have of anything related to voting and politics is when in 2008 I went on the Nickelodeon to vote for Obama and I was for some reason so happy that he won on Nickelodeon; that is my earliest memory and it was a happy one. Now my relationship with politics is not a happy one and I agree with Hawking that our world is so politically unstable. I am only 17 years old and 2016 was the year that I began to learn about politics; there is a lot of people that criticize those who go into politics in 2016, but one of my reasons for not knowing about politics before was that I was a literal child. There is also the fact that in this current administration, as opposed to Obama’s, I am actually scared for my rights as a woman and as a human.

As Hawking asserts, “Large numbers of people feel left behind both economically and socially.” This is exactly how it feels right now to me and in so many areas. First, LGBT people are still being stoned to death in parts of this world and children are in risk of losing their birthright citizenship due to a policy that de-recognizes their parents’ marriage. A woman’s right to her body is being taken away, ICE is tearing families apart, people of color are having their right to vote restricted, animals are going extinct, and everything is terrible. Hawking makes the statement, “The Earth is under threat from so many areas that it is difficult for me to be positive. The threats are too big and too numerous.” I agree with this statement because it is true that the Earth is completely under threat and it really is hard to stay positive when such terrible things are happening around us(I’m glad dogs exist and Netflix).

Hawking declares, “”First, the Earth is becoming too small for us. Our physical resources are being drained at an alarming rate. We have presented our planet with the disastrous gift of climate change. Rising temperature, reduction of the polar ice caps, deforestation, over-population, disease, war, famine, lack of water and decimations of animal species; these are all solvable but so far have not been solved.” Whenever someone asks me why I am angry, I am just going to show them this quote.

Hawking also made the claim, “We have the technology. We just need the political will.” This makes me so mad because it is so true; every single problem for world hunger to inequality to homelessness can already be fixed, but people are so greedy and power hungry to do anything about it. Hawking asserts, “One way or another, I regard it as almost inevitable that either a nuclear confrontation or environmental catastrophe will cripple the Earth at some point in the next 1,000 years which, as geological time goes, is the mere blink of an eye.” I agree with this statement because one way or another we are all dying and we are so stupidly speeding up that process.

Hawking postulates, “But now there is no new world. No utopia around the corner. We are running out of space and the only places to go to are other worlds.” This statement stood out to me because it is true all of earth has been colonized and the only place we have to go is space. That leads me to the statement he made which is, “The same course may not be possible for the millions of other species that inhabit the Earth, and that will be our conscience as a race.” This also makes me so angry because even if we find a way to go to space all these animals won’t be able to leave. We do not deserve it, we do not deserve to escape, while all these animals are left behind to die because of our stupid greedy mistakes. Non-human animals are pure and amazing and they have never done anything wrong to this world, they deserve to live in peace and to survive more than the human race does. It is not fair. Hawking sums it up when claims, “In a way, the human race needs to improve its mental and physical qualities if it is to deal with the increasingly complex world around it and meet new challenges.” I agree with this statement because we need to get our stuff together because we are going increasingly backwards.