Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking

WhiskeyTango · 04-26-2010, 03:46 PM

I just watched the first episode 'Aliens'. It's similar to The Universe on History Channel but a little more in depth I think given his knowledge and theories. I wasn't sure how they would have a guy who talks through a computer host a show, but it was well done. He talks and they transition to someone else, speaking as if they were Hawking, to do the majority of the commentary. Anyone else watching?

Rob Helmerichs · 04-26-2010, 04:06 PM

Yeah, I'm glad they used an actor to "play" Hawking for most of the show (except when he actually appears on camera). That computer voice would really annoy me.

Ironically, he uses that particular computer voice because he feels like it's "his" now, even though the technology has improved dramatically since he adopted it.

jamesbobo · 04-26-2010, 04:09 PM

I watched it. Certainly a lot of imagining. Other life forms not based on carbon is not a new idea.
He did mention that life could have been an accident on earth, or it could have been brought on asteroids. However, how did it get in the asteroid in the first place? No mention of that, or am I missing something.

cheesesteak · 04-26-2010, 06:32 PM

Not much different or more enlightening than a lot of other similar shows on the documentary channels but I'll watch every one of these shows every time they're on.

Iluvatar · 04-26-2010, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesbobo

I watched it. Certainly a lot of imagining. Other life forms not based on carbon is not a new idea.
He did mention that life could have been an accident on earth, or it could have been brought on asteroids. However, how did it get in the asteroid in the first place? No mention of that, or am I missing something.

I would think that the life that is on the (now) asteroid originally started off on some planet or planetoid that was destroyed or severely damaged. Perhaps it could have come from another system as well.

SteveInNC · 04-26-2010, 11:36 PM

I was somewhat disappointed by his dismissal of past time travel based on it leading to the Grandfather Paradox. The easiest solution to this is the concept that timelines split at each decision point in current time. If I go back in time and shoot my grandfather, or myself as in his example, I will be killing an instance of myself, but causality is preserved because that ends up being a different timeline. I killed the "me" in that timeline, but mine continues unabated.

Rob Helmerichs · 04-29-2010, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesbobo

I watched it. Certainly a lot of imagining. Other life forms not based on carbon is not a new idea.
He did mention that life could have been an accident on earth, or it could have been brought on asteroids. However, how did it get in the asteroid in the first place? No mention of that, or am I missing something.

More here.

Not life, just organic molecules which would, after coming to Earth, then have the environment in which they could develop into life.

net114 · 05-05-2010, 12:14 AM

I just found out about this show because of an interview Hawking did talking about time travel. He said he used to be afraid to give theories on it because it was laughed at in the scientific community so much, but now he's getting older so what the heck?

On going backwards in time, I think he's thinking scientifically - there's a somewhat proven theory from Einstein about going forward, but no basis for going back. At least, not one that we've discovered yet.