Brief Answers to the Big Questions

How does belief in a myth about creation differ from belief in a theory about the origin of the universe? Include a comparison of the type of thinking behind each.

Explain why Hawking believes that intelligent alien species are unlikely and would be hard to communicate with. How might future technology improve the odds of meeting and successfully communicating with beings from other planets?

Describe briefly how the laws of chaos and quantum mechanics combine to make predicting the future impossible. In your answer, compare Hawking’s ideas on the topic to those of Pierre-Simon Laplace.

Explain a black hole’s event horizon and how that region might eventually cause the hole to evaporate. Address the concept of virtual particles in your argument.

If people could travel back in time, they might change the past and thus alter the moment when they first traveled back in time. Is it possible to change the past without changing the present? Defend your view via a hypothetical example.

How might people use science and technology to prevent a climate disaster or nuclear war? Provide supporting examples.

Some say that colonizing space is a waste of money, but Hawking argues that the effort will more than pay for itself. What are his reasons? Argue for or against his viewpoint, citing the text in your response.

What is the main case in favor of developing artificial intelligence? What is the chief reasoning against it? Which side makes more sense to you, and why?