All language subtitles for PBS.Genius.By.Stephen.Hawking.3of6.Why.Are.We.Here.720p.HDTV.x264.AAC.MVGroup.org.eng

STEPHEN HAWKING:
WE ALL HAVE QUESTIONS.

BIG QUESTIONS.

MAN: AM I HERE
FOR A REASON?

HAWKING: IT'S PART OF WHAT
IT MEANS TO BE A HUMAN.

MAN: DO I CONTROL
MY OWN DESTINY?

HAWKING: MY NAME IS STEPHEN
HAWKING AND I BELIEVE THAT

ANYONE CAN ANSWER BIG QUESTIONS
FOR THEMSELVES.

THAT'S AWESOME.

HAWKING: SO, WITH THE HELP OF
SOME ORDINARY PEOPLE...

OH!
HAWKING: AND A TEAM
OF EXPERTS...

MAN: IN A FLASH
CAME TO HIM THE NOTION THAT

THERE MIGHT BE A SINGLE WALL.

HAWKING: WE ARE GOING ON
THE ULTIMATE VOYAGE.

IT'S A COMPLETE
HEAD TRIP.

HAWKING: A QUEST
TO ANSWER THE GREATEST

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE.

I'M NOT READY
TO MAKE THAT LEAP.

IT'S SO MESSED UP.

HAWKING: USING THE POWER
OF THE HUMAN MIND.

IT'S A VERY
EXCITING MOMENT.

WOMAN: YES.
[LAUGHTER]

HAWKING: BECAUSE ANYONE
CAN THINK LIKE A GENIUS.

ANNOUNCER: "GENIUS BY
STEPHEN HAWKING"

WAS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY

CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS
STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

VOICES AND NARRATOR:
WHY ARE WE HERE?

HAWKING: HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED
WHY WE ARE HERE?

I THINK MOST PEOPLE HAVE.

IF WE COULD ANSWER IT,
MAYBE WE COULD

ALL GET ALONG WITH EACH OTHER
A LITTLE BETTER,

WHICH WOULD BE GOOD.

SOME BELIEVE IN A HIGHER BEING
WHO CREATED US FOR A PURPOSE.

OTHERS SAY THAT LIFE IS JUST
A RANDOM CHAIN OF EVENTS

WITH NO REAL MEANING.

BUT I BELIEVE THERE IS ANOTHER
WAY TO ANSWER THE QUESTION.

IF WE LOOK AT THE FACTS, WE CAN
WORK IT OUT FOR OURSELVES.

SO, I'VE ASKED
3 ORDINARY PEOPLE

TO COME ON A JOURNEY.

A SERIES OF PUZZLES
AND CHALLENGES AWAITS THEM.

THEY'LL BE GIVEN EQUIPMENT
AND INSTRUCTIONS TO HELP.

CAN THEY SOLVE THE MYSTERIES
AND TRY TO ANSWER

THIS FASCINATING QUESTION?

WHY AM I HERE?

I REALLY CAN'T TELL YOU.

AM I AN ACCIDENT?
ARE WE ALL AN ACCIDENT?

AH, I DON'T THINK WE ARE.

IS THERE A REASON WE'RE HERE?

THAT WOULD ALMOST PRESUPPOSE
SOMEBODY PUTTING US HERE.

I AM HERE, BUT
THAT'S ALL I KNOW. [LAUGHS]

HAWKING: TO START THIS JOURNEY,
I WANT MY VOLUNTEERS

TO MAKE A BASIC REALIZATION.

SO, I HAVE BROUGHT THEM TO
THIS ANCIENT ENGLISH CASTLE.

WHEN IT WAS BUILT
NEARLY 600 YEARS AGO,

THE WORD "SCIENCE"
WAS ALMOST UNKNOWN.

PEOPLE THOUGHT THE UNIVERSE
WAS MAGICALLY CONTROLLED

BY ALL-POWERFUL BEINGS.

BUT MAGIC IS NOT ALWAYS
THE BEST WAY TO EXPLAIN THINGS,

WHICH IS WHAT I WANT THEM TO
GRASP AT THIS SPECIAL DINNER.

KELLY: WOW.

ARJUN: IT'S SO WEIRD.

ERIC: PRETTY SPOOKY.

ARJUN: ROMANTIC AND HAUNTING
AT THE SAME TIME.

KELLY: WHAT?
ERIC: SPINNING PLATES.

KELLY: OH, MY GOODNESS.
[LAUGHS]

IT WAS SPOOKY.
IT WAS GREAT.

SO COOL.

[LAUGHS]

IT'S MAGICAL.

HAWKING: PERHAPS THE ROOM
IS FULL OF POLTERGEISTS.

HOW ARE THEY
LEVITATING?

NO IDEA.

ERIC: SLIGHTLY SCARY.

ARJUN: IF YOU HAD DONE THIS
SOME HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO,

YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN HUNG.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST THING
THAT CROSSED MY MIND IS,

"WHERE ARE THE STRINGS?"

[BLOWING]

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE
OF THAT BLOWING?

KELLY: IT COULD
BE MAGIC.

ARJUN: COULD BE MAGIC.
MAYBE IT IS.

I'M--I'M NOT
A BELIEVER.

[LAUGHTER]

HAWKING: OF COURSE, I DON'T
BELIEVE IN MAGIC EITHER.

BUT I DO BELIEVE
IN HUMAN CURIOSITY.

ARJUN: MINE'S NOT SPINNING,
YOURS ARE.

YEAH.

ERIC: WONDER WHY
THAT IS.

HAWKING: OUR DESIRE
TO UNDERSTAND HAS ALLOWED US

TO ACHIEVE GREAT THINGS

AND FINDING OUT HOW
THINGS WORK IS FUN.

HA HA!

ARJUN: IN MY MIND, LOOKING AT
THE PLATES FLOATING,

IT WAS ABOUT, "HOW
ARE THEY FLOATING?"

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY,
"WHY ARE THEY FLOATING?"

BON APPETIT.

ERIC AND ARJUN: THANK YOU.

KELLY: CHEERS, GUYS.
ARJUN AND ERIC: CHEERS.

KELLY: I WANTED TO SEE IF
THERE WAS REALLY ANYTHING

UNDERNEATH IT THAT
MIGHT HAVE BEEN HIDDEN,

THAT COULD POSSIBLY
BE SPINNING IT,

BUT THERE DIDN'T SEEM TO BE.

AND SO THAT'S WHEN
I FIGURED IT HAD TO BE

SOME KIND OF,
YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGY.

[LAUGHS]

SHE'S TAKEN IT
ALL APART.

[LAUGHS] GUYS.

ERIC: NICE.

ARJUN: GONNA KICK YOU OUT.

IT'S CLEARLY
A MAGNET.
MAGNETS.

IS THERE SOMEBODY
UNDER THERE?

ARJUN: NO, THERE'S
NOBODY UNDER THERE.

ERIC: ELECTROMAGNET.

KELLY: IT'S A HEXAGON.

HAWKING: THEY FOUND OUT
THE SECRET OF

THE MAGICALLY FLOATING PLATES:
MAGNETS.

THE FORCE THAT THE TWO MAGNETS
EXERT AGAINST EACH OTHER

CAUSES THE PLATES TO HOVER
IN THE AIR ABOVE THE TABLE.

BUT WHAT DO LEVITATING PLATES
HAVE TO DO WITH

OUR CENTRAL QUESTION--
WHY ARE WE HERE?

ARJUN: ONCE THE PLATES
HAVE FALLEN,

THE IDEA OF MAGIC
SOON KIND OF DISAPPEARS.

IT COMES BACK TO
IT'S JUST A TRICK.

SO, ONCE YOU
MIGHT HAVE BEEN HUNG,

BUT NOW IT'S JUST MAGNETS.

THAT'S PRETTY COOL.

ERIC: IT JUST SHOWS
THE PROGRESSION OF HUMANITY

FROM NOT UNDERSTANDING
TO COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDING

HOW TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT

AND NOT HAVING IT
BE MAGICAL ANY MORE.

IT WAS ABOUT THE JOURNEY FROM

THE MAGICAL TO THE PRACTICAL
WITH SCIENCE.

HAWKING: NOW THEY ARE STARTING
TO UNLOCK THE MYSTERY.

THE UNIVERSE IS NOT
CONTROLLED BY MAGIC

BUT BY A SET OF RULES THAT
WE CALL THE LAWS OF NATURE.

TO FIND OUT HOW WE
DISCOVERED THESE LAWS,

WE'RE GOING TO MEET
ONE OF MY HEROES.

HE LIVED IN A LITTLE ENGLISH
VILLAGE OVER 300 YEARS AGO.

MAN: WHEN IT COMES TO
HUMAN KNOWLEDGE OF NATURE,

THE PERIOD BETWEEN
ROUGHLY 1500 AND 1700

GETS REMEMBERED AS
THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

BECAUSE IT BRINGS IN A NUMBER OF
FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES IN OUTLOOK

THAT REMAIN INDISPENSABLE
TO WHAT WE CALL SCIENCE.

FOR MANY PEOPLE,
THE OUTSTANDING FIGURE OF

THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION,
THE CULMINATING FIGURE

IS ISAAC NEWTON.

AND FOR GETTING A GRIP ON JUST
WHAT IT IS NEWTON ACHIEVED,

WE COULD DO NO BETTER THAN TO BE
STANDING RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF

THE VERY APPLE TREE
FROM WHICH FELL THE APPLE

THAT GAVE NEWTON THE IDEA
OF THE LAW OF UNIVERSAL
GRAVITATION,

OR SO THE STORY GOES.

IT'S 1666.

HE WAS SITTING UNDER
THE APPLE TREE

AND HE WATCHED AN APPLE
FALL TO THE GROUND.

AND IN A FLASH CAME TO HIM
THE NOTION THAT THERE MIGHT BE

A SINGLE LAW,
WHICH GOVERNS NOT JUST

THE PULL OF THE EARTH
ON AN APPLE

BUT THE PULL OF THE EARTH
ON THE MOON.

A SINGLE LAW,
A LAW OF ATTRACTION

BETWEEN ALL OF THE PARTICLES
ACROSS THE COSMOS.

THAT WAS THE LAW OF
UNIVERSAL GRAVITATION.

HAWKING: BY THE AGE OF JUST 25,

ISAAC NEWTON
SINGLE-HANDEDLY CHANGED

THE WAY WE SEE THE WORLD.

MAGIC WAS NO LONGER NEEDED TO
EXPLAIN HOW THE UNIVERSE WORKED

OR WHY WE MIGHT BE HERE.

INSTEAD, THE LAWS OF NATURE

COULD BE EXPLAINED
USING REASON...

AND WRITTEN DOWN IN A BOOK.

RADICK: HERE WE HAVE
ISAAC NEWTON'S MASTERWORK,

HIS "PRINCIPIA MATHEMATICA,"

THE MATHEMATICAL PRINCIPLES
OF NATURAL PHILOSOPHY,

PUBLISHED IN 1687 IN LATIN.

THIS IS WHERE NEWTON SET DOWN
HIS 3 LAWS OF MOTION

AND THE LAW OF
UNIVERSAL GRAVITATION

AND SET THEM TO WORK TO ACCOUNT
FOR THE SYSTEM OF THE HEAVENS:

THE TIDES, COMETS, AND OTHER
NATURAL PHENOMENA.

HAWKING: IN THIS EXTRAORDINARY
BOOK, NEWTON EXPLAINED

HOW THE UNIVERSE WORKS
IN A WAY THAT

NO ONE HAD BEEN ABLE TO BEFORE.

HIS WORK USHERED IN
THE MODERN AGE OF REASON,

UNDERPINNED BY SCIENCE.

RADICK: NEWTON BECOMES THE FIRST
SCIENTIFIC CELEBRITY;

HE IS REVERED AS A HERO
OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT.

THIS BOOK BECOMES THE BACKGROUND
AND THE PLATFORM ON WHICH

NATURAL SCIENCE
IN ALL ITS VARIETY

GROWS UP IN THE 18TH CENTURY.

HAWKING: THANKS TO
GENIUSES LIKE NEWTON,

SCIENCE GRADUALLY BEGINS
TO EXPLAIN THE WORLD.

AND EVEN, I THINK,
WHY WE ARE HERE.

I'VE GOT
THE MAGIC TOUCH THEN.
OH.

HAWKING: MY VOLUNTEERS
HAVE TAKEN THEIR FIRST STEP

TO MAKING THAT REALIZATION
FOR THEMSELVES.

KELLY: BEING IN THIS AMAZING
SETTING REALLY HELPED ME,

I THINK, GET IN THE MINDSET
OF PEOPLE, FOR EXAMPLE,

OF THE MIDDLE AGES AND HOW THEY
WOULD HAVE PERCEIVED SOMETHING

AS BEING COMPLETELY MAGICAL.

THAT'S REALLY COOL.
[LAUGHS]

KELLY: I TOTALLY THINK WE CAN
USE THE LAWS OF SCIENCE

TO UNDERSTAND THE UNIVERSE
AND THEREFORE DEDUCE

WHY WE MIGHT BE HERE.

HAWKING: WE HAVE SEEN THAT THE
UNIVERSE IS GOVERNED BY LAWS,

BUT HOW DOES THAT HELP US
WORK OUT WHY WE ARE HERE?

NOW I WANT MY VOLUNTEERS
TO UNDERSTAND

HOW THE LAWS OF NATURE AFFECT
OUR INDIVIDUAL LIVES.

AND TO HELP THEM, I HAVE
GIVEN THEM A NEW CHALLENGE.

OH, A BAR.
NICE.

[LAUGHTER]

WHO'S THIRSTY?

KELLY: FIRST THING WE SEE
IS A BARTENDER

STANDING IN THE FAR CORNER,

AND HE'S SHAKING A MIXED DRINK.

AND THEN WE NOTICE THAT
THERE'S A TABLE SET OUT

AND THERE'S ONE MARTINI GLASS
ON THE TABLE.

ERIC: WHAT'S THAT NOTE SAY?

OH.

ARJUN: FINISH OFF THE MARTINI
WITH AN OLIVE

WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GLASS.

WHAT DO YOU THINK
THAT MEANS?

I IMAGINE THAT
WE HAVE TO KNOCK THAT OLIVE

INTO THE MARTINI
TO FINISH IT OFF.

ARJUN: WITHOUT TOUCHING IT.
OK.

ERIC: MY GUESS IS
WE'RE USING THAT.

HAWKING: USING A PENDULUM
SUSPENDED BY A CHAIN,

THEY MUST MAKE
THE PERFECT COCKTAIL

BY KNOCKING THE OLIVE
INTO THE GLASS.

[GLASS SHATTERS]

[LAUGHTER]

ARJUN: YEAH,
THAT WAS INEVITABLE.

COULD WE GET
ANOTHER DRINK?

THANK YOU.

I HOPE THESE AREN'T
EXPENSIVE MARTINIS.

ARJUN: WHO WANTS
A PERFECT MARTINI?

KELLY: I DO.

[GLASS SHATTERS]

OH! THAT WAS NOT
THE PERFECT MARTINI.

SMASHING GLASSES
WAS A LOT OF FUN.

[GLASS SHATTERS]

WE BROKE QUITE A FEW GLASSES.

OH.
MAN: OH.

UM, AND I WAS PRETTY GOOD
AT BREAKING THE GLASSES.

KELLY: I'LL TRY NOT
TO DO IT SO STRONG.

THAT WAS SO CLOSE.

ARJUN: I THINK RIGHT DISTANCE,
JUST NOT THE RIGHT ANGLE.

IT'S A MIXED BAG OF FEELINGS,
'CAUSE IT'S,

"OH, MY GOD, I'M SO CLOSE,
IT'S ALMOST THERE."

BUT THERE'S A FEAR OF, "I'VE GOT
TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE

BUT IF I DO, THAT MAY
TIP ME OVER THE EDGE."

UM, IT'S A VERY
EXCITING MOMENT.

KELLY: IT'S CRAZY.
EVEN MINOR DIFFERENCES

MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.

[GLASS SHATTERS]
OH!

OOH.

[GLASS SHATTERS]

THIS IS CLEARLY
NOT WORKING.

HAWKING: TO GET IT RIGHT, THEY
NEED TO THINK LIKE SCIENTISTS.

SO, WE'VE GOTTA
GET THE OLIVE
IN THE GLASS

WITHOUT TOUCHING
THE GLASS.

WITH THE PERFECT
AMOUNT OF PENDULUM SWING

TO JUST TOUCH THE OLIVE
TO FALL IN THE GLASS.

ARJUN: OK, AND WHERE DID YOU
SWING IT FROM LAST TIME?

ERIC: I SWUNG IT FROM
SOMEWHERE UP HERE.

ARJUN: SO, THESE HOLES
HERE ARE REPRESENTING?

ERIC: NUMBER OF
DEGREES, RIGHT?

SO, I BROUGHT IT
UP TO HERE.

SO, IF WE MARK IT,
THE NEXT TIME.

OK, SO--
SO, LET'S SAY WE
GO THERE, RIGHT?

OH, YES.
YES. [LAUGHS]

SUCCESS. [LAUGHS]

HAWKING: IT'S A PERFECT SWING.

NICELY DONE.
ALL RIGHT.

HAWKING: BUT ONCE
IS NOT ENOUGH.

ALL RIGHT.
LET ME TRY.

HAWKING: TO PROVE THEY CAN MAKE

THE PERFECT COCKTAIL
EVERY TIME...

HOW'S THAT LOOK?

HAWKING: THEY HAVE TO DO IT
3 TIMES IN A ROW.

ARJUN: DANGEROUS.
ERIC: WHOA.

[GLASS SHATTERS]
[LAUGHTER]

WE KNOW THAT WE CAN
HIT THE OLIVE SOME OF THE TIME,

BUT WE ALSO KNOW MANY TIMES
WE WILL PUSH IT

AND IT WILL WRECK THE GLASS.

IT'S SUCH A DELICATE OPERATION.

ERIC: WHAT IF WE CAME UP
WITH A STICK OR SOMETHING,

TO PUT THROUGH THE HOLES?

OR SOMETHING
TO HOLD THE BALL.

'CAUSE WE'VE GOT
THE RIGHT SPOT, I GUESS,

BUT THE RELEASE
IS DIFFERENT.

YOU'RE EITHER PUSHING IT
OR YOU DON'T LET IT OUT.

KELLY: 'CAUSE YOU'RE STILL
EYEBALLING IT, REALLY.

ERIC: OK.

MAYBE THERE'S
SOMETHING ABOUT HERE.

THERE'S A BATTERY.

OH, EXCELLENT.
LOOK AT THIS.

A MAGNET.

ERIC: WHICH--WHICH HOLE
WERE WE IN?

ARJUN: UH, WE WERE
IN 14, I BELIEVE.

OK, SO,
IF WE INSERT THIS.

KELLY: IT LOOKS GOOD.

SHALL WE TRY IT?

KELLY: YEAH.
OK.

OK.

NICE.
ERIC: PERFECT.

ARJUN: BETTER.

ERIC: SO, IT'S
ABOUT THE ALIGNMENT.

KELLY: YEAH. BY USING THE MAGNET
TO SET THE STARTING CONDITIONS

EXACTLY THE SAME EVERY TIME,

AND THE RELEASE CONDITIONS
EXACTLY THE SAME EVERY TIME,

THE RESULT IS PREDICTABLE.

RIGHT.

ERIC: MAKE SURE
THE CHAIN'S ALIGNED,

THE GLASS IS ALIGNED.

KELLY: OOPS.
OLIVE ISN'T ALIGNED.

LET'S MAKE SURE
THAT THAT'S--

OK. ALL IS ALIGNED.

ERIC: YOU GUYS READY?

ARJUN: YEAH.

NICE.

ERIC: ALL RIGHT.
LET'S TRY AGAIN.

ARJUN: WHO CAN
GET IT 3 TIMES?

ERIC: NO, DON'T MOVE ANYTHING.

ARJUN: WE'VE DEFINITELY
GOT IT, YEAH.

HOLD ON FOR A SEC.

ERIC: THAT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD.

NOW I'M HAPPY.
YOU THINK
IT'S GONNA WORK?

SHE'S HAPPY.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO.

OK.

NICE.
AWESOME.

RIGHT.

HAWKING: DELICIOUS, I'M SURE.

SO, HOW DOES THIS COCKTAIL
RELATE TO

OUR CENTRAL QUESTION--
WHY ARE WE HERE?

KELLY: SO, WHAT DO YOU GUYS
THINK THIS MEANS?

ARJUN: DOING THE EXACT SAME
THING EVERY SINGLE TIME

GIVES YOU THE EXACT
SAME RESULT.

KELLY: I GUESS ONE COULD SAY,
IF THE LAWS OF PHYSICS

APPLY EVERY TIME,
THEN WHATEVER HAPPENS

IS WHATEVER WAS
SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.

IT'S ALWAYS
THE SAME RESULT.

YEAH.
YEAH.

HAWKING: THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE COCKTAIL
IS PREDETERMINED BY

WHERE AND HOW THE PENDULUM
IS RELEASED.

THE LAWS OF NATURE ARE ALWAYS
IN CONTROL AND THEY DON'T VARY.

SO, THE START GUARANTEES
THE OUTCOME EVERY TIME.

[GLASS SHATTERS]
[LAUGHTER]

ERIC: THE PERFECT COCKTAIL
IS DEFINED BY A SET OF

ALREADY EXISTING LAWS.

IF THE LAWS THROUGHOUT
THE UNIVERSE ARE KNOWN

AND WHOMEVER IS DOING THE
EXPERIMENT KNOWS WHAT TO EXPECT,

THEY WILL ALWAYS KNOW
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS.

AND THAT IS MIND BLOWING.

HAWKING: WHEN IT COMES TO
WORKING OUT WHY WE ARE HERE,

THIS IDEA HAS HUGE IMPLICATIONS
FOR MANKIND.

IF THE WHOLE UNIVERSE
IS RIGIDLY DETERMINED

BY THE LAWS OF NATURE,
ITS FUTURE IS ALREADY DICTATED

BY WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE.

SO, PERHAPS OUR DESTINY AS
A SPECIES AND AS INDIVIDUALS

IS PREDETERMINED, TOO.

THIS DISTURBING IDEAL
WAS FIRST SET OUT IN 1814

BY A FRENCH GENIUS
NAMED LAPLACE.

MAN: THE MARQUIS,
PIERRE SIMON DE LAPLACE,

WAS A FRENCH PHILOSOPHER,
MATHEMATICIAN, AND PHYSICIST.

IF YOU KNEW, LAPLACE SAID,
IF YOU KNEW EVERYTHING

ABOUT THE UNIVERSE RIGHT NOW.

WHICH MEANS IF YOU KNEW
WHERE EVERYTHING WAS,

HOW IT WAS MOVING,
ALL THE LAWS OF PHYSICS,

AND YOU WERE INFINITELY SMART--

TODAY, WE WOULD SAY IF YOU HAD
A INFINITELY GOOD COMPUTER--

LAPLACE SAYS, THEN YOU KNOW THE
ENTIRE FUTURE OF THE UNIVERSE

AND YOU KNOW THE ENTIRE
PAST OF THE UNIVERSE.

THE WHOLE HISTORY OF REALITY IS

CONTAINED IMPLICITLY
IN EVERY MOMENT.

HAWKING: LAPLACE BELIEVED
THAT THE UNIVERSE

WORKED LIKE CLOCKWORK.

IF YOU KNOW THE POSITION
OF EVERY COG IN THE MACHINE,

THEN YOU CAN TELL ITS
POSITION WITH CERTAINTY

AT ANY POINT IN
THE PAST OR FUTURE.

THIS IDEA CAME TO BE KNOWN
AS DETERMINISM.

IT DESCRIBED A UNIVERSE THAT
WOULD CONTINUE PREDICTABLY

WITHOUT DIVINE INTERVENTION.

CARROLL: LAPLACE WROTE
A VERY FAMOUS BOOK

ON CELESTIAL MECHANICS--

THE MOTIONS OF THE PLANETS
AND THE STARS

THAT WAS PRESENTED TO
THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON.

AND TO TEASE LAPLACE,
NAPOLEON SAID TO HIM,

"I SEE NO MENTION
OF GOD IN YOUR WORK,"

AND VERY HUFFILY
LAPLACE REPLIED,

"I HAD NO NEED OF
THAT HYPOTHESIS,"

AND HE KEPT MAKING THAT POINT
THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE.

HE WAS VERY CLEAR THAT
THE UNIVERSE MOVED BY ITSELF,

IT WAS NOT PUSHED ALONG
BY A HIGHER POWER.

HAWKING: I DON'T BELIEVE
LAPLACE WAS CLAIMING

THAT GOD DIDN'T EXIST,

JUST THAT GOD DOESN'T INTERVENE
TO BREAK THE LAWS OF NATURE.

AFTER ALL, A SCIENTIFIC LAW
ISN'T A LAW AT ALL

IF ITS OUTCOME CAN BE
ALTERED BY A HIGHER POWER.

I THINK THAT IF YOU'RE LISTING

10 PEOPLE IN HUMAN HISTORY
WHO REALLY CHANGED THE WAY

WE THINK ABOUT OURSELVES
AND THE UNIVERSE

AND HOW WE FIT INTO IT--I WOULD
ARGUE THAT LAPLACE DESERVES

A-A SPOT ON THAT ALL-STAR TEAM.

HAWKING: IF LAPLACE IS RIGHT,

THEN EVERY MOMENT
IN YOUR LIFE...

WHO YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH,
YOUR CAREER, WHEN YOU DIE...

IS ALREADY PRE-DETERMINED
BY THE STRICT LAWS

THAT GOVERN THE UNIVERSE.

THAT MEANS THAT ALTHOUGH WE MAY
THINK WE CHOOSE OUR DESTINY,

FREE WILL IS AN ILLUSION,

AND WE ARE JUST VERY COMPLICATED
COGS IN THE MACHINE.

KELLY: I COULD SEE THE UNIVERSE
PLAYING OUT LIKE CLOCKWORK.

I-I COULD ACTUALLY SEE THAT.

ERIC: I WANT TO BELIEVE
THAT I STILL HAVE A CHOICE

BUT IF PHYSICS IS
TAKING US TO A PLACE

WHERE WE HAVE ALL
THE STEPS LAID OUT

AND WE ALWAYS CAN PREDICT
WHAT THE FUTURE IS,

THAT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY
HARD PILL TO SWALLOW.

HAWKING: SO, IS YOUR
LIFE DETERMINED

JUST LIKE THE COCKTAIL?

OR ARE YOU FREE
TO MAKE YOUR OWN CHOICES?

IT'S A QUESTION THAT SCIENTISTS
OF ALL DISCIPLINES

HAVE WRESTLED WITH
FOR CENTURIES.

BUT MODERN NEUROSCIENCE HAS
REVEALED SURPRISING RESULTS.

MAN: IN THE LATE 1970S,
PEOPLE FOR THE FIRST TIME

WERE ABLE TO MEASURE
SOME BRAIN ACTIVITY

WHILE PEOPLE WERE ENGAGED IN
CONSCIOUS MENTAL ACTIVITY.

LATER, PEOPLE STARTED DEVELOPING
BRAIN-SCANNING TECHNIQUES

WITH WHICH IT'S POSSIBLE

TO LOOK AT THE BRAIN ACTIVITY
IN MUCH MORE DETAIL.

AND THE PSYCHOLOGIST
BENJAMIN LIBET

PERFORMED A VERY
FAMOUS EXPERIMENT.

HE GOT PEOPLE TO MAKE
VERY SIMPLE DECISIONS

ABOUT MOVING THEIR FINGERS.

AT THE SAME TIME HE RECORDED
THEIR BRAIN ACTIVITY.

WHAT THESE EXPERIMENTS SHOW IS
THAT AT THE POINT IN TIME WHEN

WE THINK WE'RE DECIDING; TO SOME
DEGREE AT LEAST THE DECISION

HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE
BY UNCONSCIOUS BRAIN ACTIVITY.

HAWKING: I WANT MY VOLUNTEERS
TO UNDERSTAND

WHAT THIS EXPERIMENT
REALLY MEANS

AND WHAT IT IMPLIES FOR
THE IDEA OF FREE WILL.

SO, WE ARE GOING TO RUN
A VERSION OF IT AT THE CASTLE,

USING SOME HIGH-TECH EQUIPMENT.

ARJUN: HELLO.
WE'RE GONNA WATCH A MOVIE.

NO. I'M GONNA
BE TESTED.

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

KELLY: WHAT IS THAT?

THERE IT GOES.
IT'S READING.

THAT'S ME.
UP ON A CASTLE.

KELLY: THAT'S CRAZY.

ERIC: I KNOW.

I HAVE THIS--THIS
CONTRAPTION ON MY HEAD

AND IT'S READING
ELECTRICAL PULSES.

IT'S READING ACTIVITY
IN MY BRAIN.

KELLY: YOU LOOK LIKE
YOU'RE THINKING HARD.

I'M--I'M REALLY
FEELING IT.

WHAT IS IT
TELLING YOU?

YEAH, CAN YOU
MAKE IT CHANGE?

I DON'T KNOW.
LET'S TRY.

SHOULD I
GET ANGRY?

GRR.

[LAUGHS]

HAWKING: THIS CONTRAPTION
IS CALLED AN EEG.

IT'S THE SAME KIND OF DEVICE

THAT LIBET USED
IN HIS EXPERIMENTS.

HAYNES: WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE
IS ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY

OF THE 100 BILLION NERVE CELLS
IN YOUR BRAIN.

OK.

HAYNES: WE TEND TO THINK
THAT OUR MIND IS PRIVATE,

THAT NOBODY CAN SEE OUR THOUGHTS
FROM THE OUTSIDE.

EVERY THOUGHT YOU HAVE
HAS A UNIQUE SIGNATURE

IN THIS BRAIN ACTIVITY.

EVERY DECISION YOU MAKE LEAVES
A TRACE IN YOUR BRAIN ACTIVITY.

THIS BRAIN ACTIVITY IS YOU.

OOH, FANCY.
LOOK AT THAT.

HAYNES: WHAT WE'RE GOING
TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO

MEASURE SOME
SPONTANEOUS DECISIONS

THAT YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE.

OK.
SO, I'D LIKE YOU,
TO SOME POINT,

WHEN YOU FEEL THE URGE
TO DO SO,

TO SPONTANEOUSLY
PRESS THIS BUTTON.

OK.
WHAT I'D LIKE YOU TO ALSO DO IS

TELL ME WHERE
THE DIAL IS ON THE SCREEN

WHEN YOU MAKE UP YOUR MIND.

OK.

ERIC: THAT'S AWESOME.

ARJUN: NICE.

[LAUGHTER]

INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH,
TURNS OUT EVERY TIME

WE PRESS THE BUTTON,
FIREWORKS GO OFF. [LAUGHS]

AND WE ALL ABOUT HAVE A MINI
HEART ATTACK. [LAUGHS]

[LAUGHS]

ERIC: IT WAS AROUND
THE 50 MARK.

MY HEART'S RACING
A BIT.

[LAUGHTER]

IT DOESN'T GET OLD.

NO, IT DOESN'T.
THAT'S AWESOME.

HAYNES: WHERE WAS THE DIAL?

ERIC: UH, 50ISH.

KELLY: WHOA, LOOK AT IT.

ERIC: YEAH, THAT'S COOL.

I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER
URGE TO PRESS IT.

OK.

KELLY: 10.

[ARJUN LAUGHS]

THAT'S SO COOL.

KELLY: I THINK
IT WAS AROUND 20. [LAUGHS]

HAWKING: SO, CAN THEY WORK OUT
WHAT THIS EXPERIMENT HAS TO DO

WITH DETERMINISM AND FREE WILL?

IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE
THAT IT'S NOT FREE WILL,

'CAUSE WHO'S TELLING ME
OR FORCING ME

TO PRESS IT AT
A CERTAIN TIME?

SO, I THINK I'LL PUSH IT
ONE MORE TIME.

HERE I GO.

TRY NOT TO LOOK AT
THE CLOCK SO MUCH.

ERIC: DON'T LOOK
AT THE CLOCK.

KELLY: IT'S RIGHT AROUND--
BETWEEN 20 AND 25.

HAWKING: WHEN THE DATA
IS COLLECTED,

THIS EXPERIMENT CAN REVEAL
HOW A CONSCIOUS DECISION

SUCH AS DECIDING
TO PRESS A BUTTON...

IT WAS AT 20.

HAWKING: IS PRECEDED BY
UNCONSCIOUS BRAIN ACTIVITY.

AND AVERAGE RESULTS FROM
MANY OF THESE EXPERIMENTS

POINT TO
A REMARKABLE CONCLUSION.

AS MY VOLUNTEERS TRY
TO EXERCISE FREE WILL,

IT APPEARS THAT THEIR BRAINS
ARE MAKING DECISIONS

BEFORE THEY ARE
EVEN AWARE OF IT.

WHAT WE'RE GONNA SHOW YOU IS

THE AVERAGE
BRAIN ACTIVITY
BEFORE THE TIME

WHEN YOU ACTUALLY
PRESS THE BUTTON.

SO, WE CAN LOOK AT IT HERE.

IT'S THE ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY
OF YOUR BRAIN

AROUND THE TIME
OF THE MOVEMENT.

HAWKING: THE GRAPH COVERS
A PERIOD OF 2.5 SECONDS.

JUST AFTER THE PEAK
IS THE PRECISE MOMENT

WHEN THE BUTTON IS PRESSED.

HAYNES: THE BIG QUESTION IS,

WHEN DID YOU CONSCIOUSLY
DECIDE TO MOVE?

ARJUN: ONE SECOND
BEFORE WE MOVED.

HAYNES: YOU THINK YOU MADE UP
YOUR MIND HERE?

YEAH.

HAYNES: SO, IN FACT,
WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT

YOU DECIDE AROUND HERE
AND THAT YOUR BRAIN HAS STARTED

PREPARING YOUR DECISION
LONG BEFORE

YOUR CONSCIOUS MIND KICKS IN.

HAWKING: THIS DATA
SHOWS US THAT

THE SUBCONSCIOUS PART OF YOUR
BRAIN BEGINS TO MAKE A DECISION

AS MUCH AS HALF A SECOND BEFORE
YOU DO IT CONSCIOUSLY.

AND YOUR FINGER ACTUALLY MOVES
ANOTHER HALF-SECOND AFTER THAT.

THIS SUGGESTS YOUR
SUBCONSCIOUS MIND

MADE THE DECISION TO PRESS THE
BUTTON, NOT YOUR CONSCIOUS MIND.

IF THIS IS RIGHT, THEN
YOU HAVE NO FREE WILL.

ARJUN: I DEFINITELY
HAVE FREE WILL.

IF I WAS JUST A BRAIN,
I WOULD BE JUST THE BRAIN.

THERE WOULDN'T BE
ALL THESE OTHER THINGS

THAT I FEEL AND THINK.

IF THERE IS JUST
THE BRAIN FEELING IT,

WHY DOES IT DETERMINE SO MANY
OTHER THINGS IN OUR LIVES?

HAWKING: MY OPINION IS THAT THE
BRAIN IS MADE OF MATTER WHICH,

LIKE THE REST OF THE UNIVERSE,
MUST FOLLOW THE LAWS OF NATURE.

THERE IS NO SPECIAL STUFF IN OUR
HEADS, NO GHOST IN THE MACHINE.

IF LIFE IS COMPLETELY
PREDETERMINED, BASED ON SCIENCE,

THEN I CAN'T-- I'M NOT SURE
WHAT THE REASON

FOR EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING IS.

IT'S JUST--THAT'S
SO MESSED UP.

IT'S REALLY MESSED UP.

YEAH.

HAWKING: MY VOLUNTEERS HAVE
LEARNED THAT THE UNIVERSE IS,

AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL,
GOVERNED BY LAWS.

AND IT SEEMS THAT IF
EVERYTHING IS DETERMINED,

LIKE THE SWING OF A PENDULUM,
THEN THE FUTURE IS SET IN STONE.

THAT MEANS WE HUMANS,
AS PART OF THE UNIVERSE,

ARE TRAVELING ON A FIXED PATH.

AND WHAT WE THINK OF AS FREE
WILL IS INDEED AN ILLUSION.

KELLY: I AM NOT YET
CONCEDING THAT

I AM A FIXED MACHINE
IN A FIXED UNIVERSE.

I UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN'T BE
IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING.

BUT I DON'T THINK THAT YOU CAN
SAY THAT THERE'S NO FREE WILL.

I'M NOT READY
TO MAKE THAT LEAP.

HAWKING: FORTUNATELY, THIS IS
NOT THE END OF KELLY'S JOURNEY.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
WHY WE ARE HERE,

WE NEED TO SEE IF THE LAWS THAT

DETERMINE THE COSMOS
ON A LARGE SCALE

HOLD UP WHEN WE
EXAMINE THE UNIVERSE

AT THE SMALLEST OF SCALES.

BECAUSE AS THEY SAY,
THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAIL.

HOW DO THE LAWS
OF NATURE APPLY TO

THE TINIEST STRUCTURES--
TO ATOMS AND BEYOND?

MAN: THE IDEA OF ATOMS
ACTUALLY GOES BACK

TO THE ANCIENT GREEKS...

DIRECT SEEING OF THE COMPONENTS
THAT MAKE UP ATOMS

DON'T BEGIN TO COME UNTIL
THE LATE 19TH CENTURY,

UH, WITH, FOR EXAMPLE,
THE DISCOVERY OF THE ELECTRON.

HAWKING: IT WAS A BRITISH
SCIENTIST NAMED

JOHN JOSEPH THOMPSON WHO
DISCOVERED ELECTRONS IN 1897.

HE DISCOVERED THAT THEY ARE
TINY CHARGED PARTICLES,

WHICH SPIN AROUND
THE OUTSIDE OF THE ATOM.

THEY ORBIT A CENTRAL CORE
CALLED A NUCLEUS.

AND THIS NUCLEUS IS MADE OF
TWO OTHER SUBATOMIC PARTICLES...

KNOWN AS PROTONS AND NEUTRONS.

THEY IN TURN ARE BUILT OF

EVEN SMALLER PARTICLES
CALLED QUARKS.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD
OF QUANTUM PHYSICS.

JOHNSON: ALL OF A SUDDEN,
IT TURNED OUT THERE'S

THIS WHOLE OTHER WORLD,
THIS QUANTUM WORLD

UNDERLYING EVERYTHING

THAT REQUIRED A WHOLE NEW SET
OF RULES TO BE DISCOVERED.

NEWTON, CENTURIES EARLIER,
HAD EXPECTED THAT

THOSE ATOMIC CONSTITUENTS
WOULD ALSO OBEY

NEWTON'S LAWS OF MOTION.

AND THAT TURNS OUT
TO BE WRONG, VERY WRONG.

SO, IT WASN'T JUST DISCOVERING

NEW PARTICLES THAT
MAKE THINGS UP,

BUT THEY NEEDED NEW RULES.

RELY NEW PHYSICS.

AND THAT PHYSICS WAS LIKE
NOTHING WE'D EVER SEEN.

HAWKING: THIS IS WHERE
THINGS START TO GET STRANGE

AND THE IDEA THAT
EVERYTHING IS DETERMINED

STARTS TO FACE PROBLEMS.

BECAUSE SCIENTISTS HAVE
DISCOVERED AT VERY SMALL SCALES

THE UNIVERSE DOES NOT
PLAY BY THE SAME RULES.

FOR THEIR NEXT CHALLENGE,
I WANT MY VOLUNTEERS

TO WORK OUT WHY.

ALL RIGHT.
WE'VE GOT A GRID HERE

WITH NUMBERS ON ONE SIDE
AND LETTERS ON THE OTHER.

ARJUN: AND RED BALLOONS.

KELLY: I'M THINKING WE MUST BE
DOWN AT THE SUBATOMIC LEVEL.

HAWKING: IMAGINE WE WERE
IN THE SUBATOMIC WORLD

AND AN ELECTRON WAS
THE SIZE OF A BALLOON.

WHAT IF WE TRY TO PRECISELY
LOCATE THE ELECTRONS ON THE GRID

TO FIND THEIR EXACT POSITION?

KELLY: HERE, I'LL COVER THESE.

ERIC: UH, SURE.

ARJUN: OK.

HAWKING: AN ELECTRON IS SO TINY
THAT IT CAN'T BE SEEN DIRECTLY,

WHICH IS A BIT LIKE
LOOKING FOR SOMETHING

WHEN WEARING A BLINDFOLD.

I-I DON'T KNOW HOW
WE'RE GONNA DO THIS

WITH BLINDFOLDS ON.

KELLY: I HAVE NO IDEA.

HAWKING: LET'S
SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

A9.
KELLY: OH!

THEY'RE GETTING
AWAY FROM ME.

I'M PLAYING BASKETBALL
WITH THEM.
KELLY: HA HA!

KELLY: WE START JUST
RANDOMLY GROPING ABOUT,

UM, TRYING TO FIND THEM.

ERIC: HOW MANY
DID YOU GUYS FIND?

KELLY: I BUMPED INTO ONE.

ARJUN: GOD'S SAKE.
[KELLY LAUGHS]

ARJUN: NOTHING WITH REGARDS TO
THE ELECTRONS WERE CONSTANT.

SO, WE WERE MOVING AROUND, THE
ELECTRONS WERE MOVING AROUND.

ERIC: HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME
TO WALK THROUGH THIS WHOLE THING

WITHOUT FINDING A BALLOON?

KELLY: OOH, GOT ONE.
BOPPED ME ON THE NOSE.

UH, THIS IS, UH, C14.
ARJUN: C14.

KELLY: AS SOON AS WE PUT
THE BLINDFOLD BACK ON,

IT'S MOVED AGAIN.

AND SOMEBODY ELSE WILL
FIND THE SAME ONE

BUT IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION.

I'M WALKING
TOWARDS KELLY NOW.

I'M JUST WALKING
AROUND IN CIRCLES. [LAUGHS]

HAWKING: THE LIGHTER
AN OBJECT IS,

THE HARDER IT IS TO PIN DOWN,

SIMPLY BECAUSE IT'S
SO EASY TO DISTURB.

ARJUN: OH.
I'VE JUST WALKED INTO ANOTHER.

THIS IS E--
OH, I'M SORRY. E9. E9.

KELLY: OH.

ERIC: I DON'T KNOW
HOW MANY I HAVE FOUND NOW.

ARJUN: NO, I KEEP FINDING MORE.

KELLY: UH, E8.

ERIC: I'VE SENT ONE FLYING.

EVERYTHING WAS JUST
COMPLETELY RANDOM

AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO PREDICT
WHERE IT WAS GONNA BE.

ERIC: ALL RIGHT.
THIS IS NOT GONNA WORK.

KELLY: YEAH, I-I TOTALLY AGREE.
THIS IS NOT GONNA WORK.

ARJUN: I'M JUST TAKING
MY BLINDFOLD OFF.

OH, WOW.

DID I COMPLETELY
MISS ALL THESE?

THERE IS REALLY NO WAY
TO FIGURE THIS OUT.

IT'S COMPLETELY RANDOM
AND THERE'S NO WAY

TO PREDICT WHAT'S GOING ON.

HAWKING: I ADMIT IT.

THIS CHALLENGE IS
NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE,

MUCH LIKE TRYING
TO LOCATE SOMETHING

AS TINY AND LIGHT
AS AN ELECTRON.

WE CAN'T HELP BUT DISTURB IT.

SO ITS EXACT POSITION IS
FUNDAMENTALLY UNKNOWABLE.

KELLY: WE'RE NEVER
GONNA GET IT.

ARJUN: UNLESS WE
DON'T TOUCH IT.

KELLY: YEAH, BUT WE CAN'T
FIND IT IF WE DON'T TOUCH IT.

SO, IT'S A PARADOX.

MAN: HA HA!

HAWKING: BUT
HERE'S THE REAL ISSUE.

IT ISN'T JUST A PROBLEM
OF LOCATING SMALL THINGS

BUT SOMETHING ELSE
MUCH MORE PROFOUND.

ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS
OF MATTER HARD TO PIN DOWN

BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ACTUALLY
IN A PERFECTLY DEFINED PLACE?

THE UNIVERSE IS A BIT FUSSY
AT THE SMALL SCALE,

LIKE ZOOMING TOO FAR
INTO A PHOTOGRAPH.

THIS MIGHT SOUND CRAZY,
BUT IT APPEARS TO BE TRUE.

ON THE VERY SMALLEST OF SCALES,

MATTER BEHAVES IN
A VERY STRANGE,

EVER SO SLIGHTLY
INDISTINCT WAY.

IN 1927, A GERMAN GENIUS
NAMED WERNER HEISENBERG

TOOK A BOLD STEP.

HE CAME UP WITH AN IDEA CALLED

THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE,
WHICH SUGGESTED THAT

THE DIFFICULTY OF
LOCATING SMALL THINGS

POINTS TO A DEEPER REALITY.

THE BEHAVIOR OF SUBATOMIC
PARTICLES IS INDEED

A BIT UNCERTAIN
AND ILL-DEFINED.

WHICH IMPLIES
THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE

HAS RANDOMNESS AT ITS CORE.

KELLY: SO, AT THE ELECTRON
LEVEL, AT THE SUBATOMIC LEVEL,

IF THINGS ARE TOTALLY RANDOM,
TO MY MIND THAT WOULD MEAN

THAT YOU CAN'T SAY THAT
THINGS IN THE UNIVERSE

WORK LIKE CLOCKWORK.

IT ISN'T PREDETERMINED,
IT ISN'T PREDESTINED.

IT ISN'T THE UNIVERSE
JUST PLAYING OUT AS IT MUST.

AND THAT MAKES ME
FEEL REALLY LUCKY.

[LAUGHS] SO, I'M
A CHEMICAL ACCIDENT.

I GOT HERE THROUGH DUMB LUCK.

HAWKING: KELLY MAY FEEL LUCKY,
BUT IN THE 1920S,

SCIENTISTS FELT DIFFERENTLY.

ONE OF
HEISENBERG'S CONTEMPORARIES

WAS ALBERT EINSTEIN.

HE HATED THE IDEA
THAT RANDOMNESS

COULD EXIST IN NATURE.

HE SAID, "GOD DOES NOT
PLAY DICE WITH THE WORLD."

BUT TODAY, SCIENTISTS
HAVE PROVED THAT,

AS DIFFICULT AS
IT IS TO COMPREHEND,

THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE
IS INDEED CORRECT.

SO, LAPLACE'S IDEA
OF DETERMINISM,

OF A SINGLE UNIVERSE
OPERATING LIKE CLOCKWORK,

CANNOT BE THE WHOLE PICTURE.

SUBATOMIC RANDOMNESS
REVEALS THERE IS

SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON, AND WE
WILL NEED A NEW UNDERSTANDING

TO FIND OUT HOW IT WORKS.

WE KNOW THAT
QUANTUM PHYSICS IS IMPORTANT.

WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
HOW TO COMBINE

QUANTUM PHYSICS AND GRAVITY,
IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND

HOW THE THINGS WE'RE
MADE OF GOT HERE.

HAWKING: BUT WE ARE STARTING
TO FIND SOME ANSWERS

TO WHY WE ARE HERE.

WE HAVE FOUND OUT THAT
DESPITE NEWTON'S LAWS,

THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE
SUGGESTS THAT THE UNIVERSE

MIGHT ACTUALLY BE RANDOM...

AND NOT DETERMINED AFTER ALL.

IN THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE,
THIS IS ABOUT

AS BIG A CHANGE
AS CAN BE IMAGINED.

IN THEIR NEXT CHALLENGE, I WANT
MY VOLUNTEERS TO WORK OUT

HOW THE RANDOMNESS
OF THE QUANTUM WORLD

CAN AFFECT THE UNIVERSE
ON OUR LARGE SCALE.

MAYBE STEPHEN
JUST WANTS US NOW

TO PAINT AND DECORATE
THE CASTLE.

AFTER ALL THE DAMAGE
WE'VE CAUSED.

BROKEN GLASSES...

KELLY: A LITTLE DIY.
ARJUN: YEAH, EXACTLY.

OH, BOY, WHAT HAVE
WE GOT HERE?

HAWKING: THIS MAY HURT...

BUT I AM HOPING THIS MACHINE
WILL POINT THE WAY

TO THE REAL REASON
BEHIND WHY WE ARE HERE.

ARJUN: IT SEEMS LIKE WHICHEVER
COLOR IT LANDS ON,

THAT PERSON IS EITHER GOING TO
GET SHOT, ELECTROCUTED,

OR MAYBE WET.

I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE'S WORSE.

KELLY: WE REALIZED, OF COURSE,
WE'RE SUPPOSED TO STAND THERE

AND BE TARGET PRACTICE.

HAWKING: THESE CANNONS
SHOOT WET SPONGES

COMPLETELY RANDOMLY.

[EXHALES]

ERIC: IT'S GONNA SHOOT US.

BUT WHO?
[LAUGHS]

ERIC: A DISPROPORTIONATE
AMOUNT--AAH!

ARJUN AND KELLY: OH!

YOU [BLEEP].

DOES IT HURT?

SOUNDED LIKE
IT HURT, BUT

HE'S STILL
LAUGHING.

IT WAS JUST A QUICK SHOT.
AND, UH, DEFINITELY STUNG A BIT.

[LAUGHS]

ERIC: YOU GUYS SHOULD
PAY ATTENTION

AND KEEP LOOKING
OVER THERE!

YEAH.
KELLY:
MY COLOR.

AAH!
[LAUGHS]

ARJUN: FINALLY.
OUCH.
[MEN LAUGH]

I ENJOYED THAT
TOO MUCH.

DID YOU NOW,
DID YOU?!

[MEN LAUGH]
IT HURT!

HERE WE GO.

HAWKING: SO, NOW,
CAN THEY USE THESE GUNS

TO WORK OUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
THE RANDOM SUBATOMIC WORLD

INTERACTS WITH THE WORLD
GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF NATURE?

ARJUN: SO, HOW ARE WE
IMPORTANT IN THIS,

APART FROM
THE FACT THAT
WE'RE GETTING HIT?

IT'S HARD TO THINK WHEN
THAT THING IS SPINNING.

AAH!

[MAN LAUGHS]

ARJUN: THE EXPERIMENT IS
PROBABLY THE HARDEST FOR ME,

BUT I GUESS THAT'S THE SAME AS
TRYING TO DESCRIBE THE UNIVERSE

OR THE WORLD OR OURSELVES.

THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT
FACTORS AT PLAY.

HAWKING: THE VOLUNTEERS HAVE
BEEN TOLD THAT, INSIDE THIS BOX,

A WEAK RADIOACTIVE
SOURCE RELEASES

A PARTICLE OF RADIATION.

BECAUSE THIS IS A SUBATOMIC
PARTICLE WHICH BEHAVES RANDOMLY,

THERE IS NO WAY OF KNOWING
WHEN IT WILL BE RELEASED.

BUT WHEN IT IS,
A GEIGER COUNTER

DETECTS IT AND STOPS THE WHEEL.

THE COLOR DETERMINES
WHO GETS SHOT.

ERIC: SO, LET'S
WALK THROUGH IT.

YOU'VE GOT THE GEIGER COUNTER
THAT'S THE TRIGGER.

YEAH.
YEAH.

WE KNOW THAT'S RANDOM.

KELLY: BUT THE SPINNING
OF THE WHEEL IS CONSTANT.

ERIC: RIGHT, BUT THAT'S OUR
INTERACTION WITH THE RANDOM.

[LAUGHTER]

WHAT WE KNOW FROM
THE PREVIOUS EXPERIMENT

IS THAT ON THE SUBATOMIC LEVEL,
EVERYTHING IS RANDOM.

WE'RE DEALING WITH SOMETHING
THAT'S ON THE SUBATOMIC LEVEL,

RIGHT, RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
THAT'S DECAYING.

ARJUN: YEAH.

WHAT THIS EXPERIMENT
IS SHOWING IS

THE UNIVERSE IS A BIT
LIKE A ROULETTE WHEEL

LIKE THIS WHEEL
HERE, WHERE

THE POTENTIAL OUTCOMES
ARE DETERMINED

BUT WHERE THE BALL LANDS
IS COMPLETELY RANDOM.

ERIC: SO, IT IS DETERMINED THAT
WE'RE HIT,

BUT IT'S COMPLETELY
RANDOM WHEN!

[KELLY LAUGHS]

ERIC: HA HA!

KELLY: SO, WE'RE NEITHER
DETERMINED OR RANDOM.

ERIC: WE'RE A HYBRID
OF THE TWO.

WHICH MEANS WE SHOULD
HAVE FREE WILL.

SO, LET'S GET
OUT OF HERE!

[LAUGHTER]

HAWKING: THEY ARE GETTING
CLOSE TO AN ANSWER.

THE RESULT IS RANDOM,
BUT ONLY WITHIN

A FIXED SET OF POSSIBILITIES.

NOTHING CRAZY HAPPENS, JUST
ONE OF 3 POSSIBLE OUTCOMES.

WE CAN SAY THAT SOMEONE
WILL CERTAINLY GET SHOT.

THAT IS DETERMINED.

BUT WE DO NOT KNOW
WHO OR WHEN.

IT'S AS IF THE UNIVERSE
IS DETERMINED,

BUT THAT IT HAS OPTIONS,
ALMOST LIKE FORKS IN THE ROAD.

SO, THE QUESTION REMAINS--ARE WE
FREE TO CHOOSE OUR OWN PATH?

AND CAN WE REALLY TAKE CREDIT
FOR OUR ACTIONS?

AS A SPECIES, WE HAVE
TRAVELED TO THE MOON...

FOUNDED GREAT CIVILIZATIONS...

AND WE'VE EVEN DONE OUR BEST TO
BRING THIS PLANET TO ITS KNEES.

BUT HAVE WE ACTIVELY
CHOSEN THESE OUTCOMES?

OR HAS MAN'S ACTIONS
BEEN PREDETERMINED?

I BELIEVE THE ANSWERS
LIE IN AN IDEA CALLED

THE MANY WORLDS THEORY,
WHICH SUGGESTS

ALL POSSIBLE OUTCOMES OCCUR.

IT'S A STRANGE IDEA.

LET'S SEE IF
THE VOLUNTEERS CAN GRASP IT

BY COMING FACE TO FACE
WITH THEMSELVES.

KELLY: A MASS OF PEOPLE WALK,
SWARM OUT OF THE CASTLE...

AND THEY'RE ALL
WEARING OUR FACES.

[LAUGHS]

ERIC: OH, MY GOD.

[ARJUN LAUGHS]
THAT IS WEIRD.

ERIC: THAT IS SO MESSED UP.

[ARJUN LAUGHS]

HAWKING: I'M HOPING
THIS FINAL DEMONSTRATION

WILL EXPLAIN WHY WE ARE HERE.

IT'S TOO MUCH.
IT REALLY JUST FREAKED ME OUT.

AND YOU'RE LIKE, WHAT--WHAT IS
THIS, WHAT IS GOING ON!

HAWKING: THE RULES ARE SIMPLE.

WHEN THEY HEAR THE SIGNAL,
EVERYONE HAS TO MOVE.

THE CHOICE IS THEIRS, BUT THEY
ONLY HAVE FINITE OPTIONS--

EITHER ONE STEP LEFT,
OR ONE STEP RIGHT.

[HONK]

[HONK]

[HONK]

[HONK]

[HONK]

[HONK HONK]

[HONK]

SO, WHAT DO MY VOLUNTEERS
MAKE OF ALL THIS?

AND CAN THEY SEE WHAT IT HAS
TO DO WITH OUR BIG QUESTION?

ARJUN: I SEEM TO BE
SCATTERED EVERYWHERE.

WHAT ARE THEY
DOING BEHIND ME?

I GUESS THEY'RE MOVING
EVERY TIME I MOVE.

ARJUN: I DON'T KNOW,
I CAN'T PINPOINT IT,

BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT
THINGS RUNNING THROUGH MY MIND.

ERIC: I'M SPEECHLESS.

IT'S DEFINITELY THE MOST BIZARRE
THING I'VE EVER SEEN.

[LAUGHS]
IT'S A COMPLETE HEAD TRIP.

HAWKING: IT MAY
TAKE TIME TO GET TO

THE BOTTOM OF THIS EXPERIMENT.

LET'S TRY IT AGAIN.

[HONK]

[HONK]

[HONK]

[HONK]

[HONK]

[HONK]

ERIC: IT SEEMS LIKE
EVERY TIME I DO SOMETHING,

THE OTHER ME DOES
SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

THE OTHERS.

I GUESS IT REPRESENTS SOME FORM
OF MULTIDIMENSIONAL THING.

HAWKING: THEY'VE NEARLY
SOLVED THE PUZZLE.

LET'S DO IT ONE LAST TIME.

[HONK]

[HONK]

ARJUN: IT COULD HAVE BEEN
ABOUT TIME.

YOU KNOW, WE--WE MOVE AROUND
IN DIFFERENT TIMES,

OR WAS IT PART OF
THE UNIVERSES?

[HONK]

KELLY: MAYBE THE GRID WAS
ALMOST LIKE A TIMELINE.

AND IT WAS KIND OF REPRESENTING
DIFFERENT POINTS

WHERE I COULD HAVE SWERVED
LEFT OR RIGHT, BUT I DIDN'T.

[HONK]

HAWKING: NOW THEY NEED TO WORK
OUT WHAT ALL OF THIS MEANS.

ARJUN: HOW CRAZY WAS IT?

SO MANY DIFFERENT VERSIONS
OF YOURSELF, EVERYWHERE.

I FOUND IT ACTUALLY
ALMOST OPPRESSIVE,

SEEING THAT MUCH OF ME,
STARING BACK AT ME.

HA HA! IT'S AS IF THERE WERE
MANY DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW,

VERSIONS OF
WHAT WE WERE.

KELLY: YEAH,
EXACTLY.

IT WAS KIND OF LIKE, WELL,
WHAT IF IT REPRESENTED

ONE PATH IN LIFE THAT
I COULD HAVE GONE DOWN,

BUT MAYBE DIDN'T?

AHA.

EVERY TIME YOU HAD
MULTIPLES OF YOU,

IT WAS A DIFFERENT OPTION
WITHIN THAT PATH.

KELLY: YEAH.
LIKE IT WAS LIKE

A DIFFERENT
PATH OF LIFE,

WHERE I MAYBE EXIST
IN A DIFFERENT UNIVERSE.

YOU GET TO MAKE
DIFFERENT CHOICES.

KELLY: YEAH.
THEY'RE ON
DIFFERENT PATHS.

ARJUN: RIGHT, COOL.

[HONK]

HAWKING: THE THEORY OF
MANY WORLDS IS ACTUALLY

A THEORY OF MANY UNIVERSES.

AND THAT THEORY SUGGESTS
THAT IN THOSE UNIVERSES,

ALL POSSIBLE OUTCOMES
WILL OCCUR.

SO, EVERYTHING THAT COULD HAPPEN
DOES HAPPEN,

JUST IN AN ANOTHER UNIVERSE.

EACH COPY OF THE VOLUNTEERS
REPRESENTS A PARALLEL UNIVERSE.

AND THE HISTORY OF
THIS PARTICULAR UNIVERSE,

AND THIS PARTICULAR VERSION
OF YOU IN IT,

HAS LED TO WHERE
YOU ARE RIGHT NOW.

PARALLEL UNIVERSES
ARE MORE THAN

JUST AN INTERESTING THEORY.

IN FACT, IF OUR
CURRENT UNDERSTANDING

OF THE UNIVERSE IS CORRECT,

I BELIEVE THEY ARE INEVITABLE.

WHAT'S MORE,
THESE BELIEFS ARE SHARED BY

RENOWNED SCIENTISTS
ALL OVER THE WORLD.

CARROLL: I THINK THAT
THE MANY WORLDS VERSION

OF QUANTUM MECHANICS IS RIGHT.

I THINK THERE ARE
MANY OTHER COPIES OF ME

THAT ARE SLIGHTLY DIVERGING
AS TIME GOES ON.

AND IT'S A FUNNY QUESTION
BECAUSE WE MAY NEVER SEE

THE OTHER UNIVERSES.

BUT THEY ARE PREDICTED
BY OUR BEST UNDERSTANDING

OF WHAT WE DO SEE.

AND IN MY MIND, IT'S
THE DUTY OF A SCIENTIST

TO COME UP WITH
THE BEST UNDERSTANDING
OF THE PHYSICAL WORLD

THAT YOU CAN AND THEN
ACCEPT ITS CONSEQUENCES,

EVEN THE CONSEQUENCES
YOU CAN'T SEE.

HAWKING: SO, WHAT DO MY
VOLUNTEERS MAKE OF THIS IDEA?

ARJUN: WE HAVE
MULTIPLE UNIVERSES,

MULTIPLE DIFFERENT
VERSIONS OF OURSELVES,

BUT LOOKING BACK AT
EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE,

THIS POSITION HERE,
WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW,

ISN'T A DETERMINED FACTOR.

WE WEREN'T ALWAYS
GONNA LEAD HERE.

IT WAS JUST DOWN
TO OUR CHOICES.

IT'S JUST ONE OF
THE POSSIBILITIES.

WE'RE HERE SIMPLY
'CAUSE OF THE CHOICES

WE MADE AT THAT GIVEN POINT.

YEAH.
FULLY WITH THAT.

KELLY: YEAH.

ERIC: OUT OF
POTENTIAL POSSIBILITIES.

LIMITED POSSIBILITIES,
CONSTRAINED BY

THE LAWS OF PHYSICS.

ERIC: YEAH, THAT'S GOOD.
[LAUGHTER]

JUST AS I'M RESPONSIBLE
FOR MY OWN CHOICES,

I DO BELIEVE I'M RESPONSIBLE
FOR MY OWN FUTURE.

I CAN'T SEE IT BUT
IT'S MY OWN MAKING.

KELLY: OK.
YEAH, THAT'S COOL.

KELLY: ALL RIGHT.
I CHOOSE GROUP HUG.

ARJUN: I'M DOWN WITH THAT.
[LAUGHS]

KELLY: YOU KNOW YOU LOVE IT.
[LAUGHS]

HAWKING: OUR BRAINS ARE BOUND
BY THE LAWS OF NATURE.

THESE LAWS IMPLY THAT THERE ARE
MULTIPLE UNIVERSES

WHICH ALLOW FOR EACH AND EVERY
POSSIBLE OUTCOME.

THIS LEADS US TO THE MOST
EXTRAORDINARY IDEA--

THE UNIVERSE YOU
FIND YOURSELF IN

MAY BE YOUR OWN UNIQUE VERSION.

ARJUN: THE WHOLE UNIVERSE
CAME TOGETHER JUST TO MAKE ME.

SO, I GUESS I AM THE UNIVERSE
AND I AM ME, AT THE SAME TIME.

I REALLY HAVE NO CHOICE
BUT TO BE HERE RIGHT NOW

BECAUSE OF THE DECISIONS
I'VE MADE.

HAWKING: SO, HERE IS WHERE
I THINK WE CAN FIND MEANING

IN OUR LIVES,
THANKS TO SCIENCE.

ALTHOUGH WE ARE, EACH OF US,
A PRODUCT OF THE UNIVERSE.

THE UNIVERSE WE LIVE IN,
IS PERSONAL TO US.

ERIC: THE FACT THAT I CAN KNOW
THAT EVERYTHING IS

JUST IN THIS MASSIVE
AMOUNT OF CHAOS

WITH MAYBE INFINITE POTENTIAL
UNIVERSES AND DIMENSIONS,

THAT'S FINE FOR ME,
IT REALLY IS.

KELLY: IT TOOK A WHOLE UNIVERSE
TO MAKE ME.

THE ME WHO IS SITTING HERE
RIGHT NOW.

AND THAT, I THINK,
IS WHAT LEAVES ME

IN THE BIGGEST STATE OF ALL.

HAWKING: NOW I THINK WE CAN
ANSWER OUR CENTRAL QUESTION--

WHY ARE WE HERE IN THIS
UNIVERSE RIGHT NOW?

SINCE THE BIG BANG ITSELF,
THE UNIVERSE HAS BEEN

GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF NATURE.

LAWS THAT DETERMINE
EVERYTHING FROM

THE FORMATION OF
ENTIRE GALAXIES...

TO THE STABLE ORBITS OF
PLANETS AROUND STARS.

THIS IS THE COSMIC LOGIC
OF DETERMINISM.

IN THIS WAY, THE UNIVERSE
PROVIDES STABLE CONDITIONS,

ALLOWING COMPLEX
CREATURES TO EVOLVE.

BUT WHEN WE LOOK CLOSER...

WE DISCOVER THAT THE UNIVERSE

APPEARS TO SPLIT INTO
ALL POSSIBLE UNIVERSES,

ALL THE TIME.

AND THAT WOULD LEAD TO A PRETTY
REMARKABLE REALIZATION.

WE MAY BE TINY AND FEEBLE

COMPARED TO THE MAJESTY
OF THE COSMOS,

BUT IN A VERY REAL WAY,
IT EXISTS JUST FOR YOU.

THE UNIVERSE YOU SEE IS THE ONE
THAT GIVES RISE TO YOU

OUT OF ALL
THE POSSIBLE UNIVERSES.

AND THAT IS WHY YOU ARE HERE.

SO, NO MATTER HOW BAD
THINGS GET, I ALWAYS SAY,

"DON'T LOOK DOWN AT YOUR FEET,
BUT LOOK UP AT THE STARS."

¶

Hawking: My name
is Stephen Hawking.

Where did it all begin?

Volunteer: It's something
that's almost impossible

to get your head around.

Hawking: I believe that anyone
can answer big questions

for themselves.

Volunteer: Where did
the big bang happen?

Hawking: Follow the greatest
thinkers in history.

Expert: We could understand
the origin of everything.

Hawking: Think like a genius.

Volunteer: Wahoo!