Watch Stephen Hawking: Asking big questions about the Universe Documentary Online


In keeping with the theme of TED2008, professor Stephen Hawking asks some Big Questions about our universe — How did the universe begin? How did life begin? Are we alone?

Stephen Hawking’s scientific investigations have shed light on the origins of the cosmos, the nature of time and the ultimate fate of universe. His bestselling books for a general audience have given an appreciation of physics to millions.

Why you should listen to him:

Stephen Hawking is perhaps the world’s most famous living physicist. A specialist in cosmology, quantum gravity and a devotee of black holes, his work has probed the origins of the cosmos, nature of time and the fate of the universe – earning him accolades including induction into the Order of the British Empire. To the public, he’s best known as an author of bestsellers such as The Universe in a Nutshell and A Brief History of Time, which have brought an appreciation of theoretical physics to millions.

Though the motor neuron disorder ALS has confined Hawking to a wheelchair, it hasn’t stopped him from lecturing widely, making appearances on television shows such as Star Trek: Next Generation and Simpsons and planning a trip into orbit with Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic. (He recently experienced weightlessness aboard Zero Gravity Corporation’s “Vomit Comet.”) A true academic celebrity, he uses his public appearances to raise awareness about potential global disasters – such as global warming – and to speak out for the future of humanity: “Getting a portion of the human race permanently off the planet is imperative for our future as a species,” he says.