Institute for Advanced Study:
The Institute for Advanced Study in Hong Kong was founded on the dream of President Paul Chu, aiming to establish Hong Kong, China, and Asia as a global hub of intellectual development and innovation. The institute endeavors to foster cutting-edge research and scholarship to address pressing 21st-century challenges by bringing together the world’s most brilliant minds.

Welcoming Remarks:
Angelina Yee, Executive Director of the Institute, welcomed Professor Stephen Hawking and the audience to the inaugural lecture. She stressed the significance of Hawking’s presence, marking the commencement of a new journey for Hong Kong in terms of intellectual exploration and innovation.

Lecture Guidelines:
Yee reminded the audience of essential guidelines for the lecture, including a strict prohibition on photography to ensure the proper functioning of Hawking’s delicate communication system. She requested attendees to be patient and maintain silence during the lecture to avoid disruptions while Hawking used his computer synthesizer to communicate.

Professor Chu’s Introduction:
President Paul Chu of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology took the stage to introduce Professor Stephen Hawking. He acknowledged that the task of introducing such a renowned figure was daunting, given Hawking’s numerous accomplishments. Chu emphasized that Hawking’s presence transcended any human institution, representing the limitless potential of the human mind and spirit.

Audience Inspiration:
Hawking’s unwavering determination and remarkable achievements have inspired generations to pursue ambitious goals and strive for excellence. His presence has given rise to the term “Hawking spirit,” which encapsulates the limitless curiosity, imagination, and fascination with scientific discovery that he personifies.

Myths and Early Beliefs:
Creation myths, like that of the Bishongo people, attempt to explain the origins of the universe and humanity. Early understanding placed the creation of the world at a specific time, such as Bishop Usher’s interpretation of the book of Genesis. Mountains and rivers, perceived as unchanging during a human lifetime, were thought to have existed forever or created simultaneously with humans.

Philosophical Perspectives:
Aristotle believed the universe had existed eternally, arguing that something eternal is more perfect than something created. Immanuel Kant explored the contradictions of a universe with a beginning or an eternal existence.

Einstein’s Theory of Relativity:
In 1915, Einstein’s general theory of relativity revolutionized the understanding of space and time. Space and time were no longer considered absolute or existing independently of the universe. They became dynamical quantities shaped by matter and energy within the universe.

Implications for the Beginning of the Universe:
The concept of time became dependent on the universe itself, making it meaningless to talk about a time before the universe began. The assumption of an unchanging universe before the 1920s allowed for arbitrary extensions of time back. This raised philosophical questions about the meaning of existence in a universe that could potentially have been created recently with the appearance of age.

The Positivist Approach:
Hawking adopted the positivist approach, interpreting sensory input through a model of the world. The focus shifted from whether the model represented reality to its effectiveness in explaining observations and making testable predictions. In comparing models of the universe, those that provide explanations for events, such as identical twins with a common cause, are considered better.

Conclusion:
The intersection of creation myths, philosophical arguments, and the impact of relativity on our understanding of time and the universe’s origin is explored. The positivist approach emphasizes the effectiveness and predictive power of models rather than their representation of absolute reality.

Edwin Hubble’s Discovery:
Edwin Hubble used the 100-inch telescope on Mount Wilson to observe the distribution of stars in the universe. He found that stars are grouped in vast collections called galaxies and are not uniformly distributed. Hubble also discovered that most galaxies were moving away from us, with the speed of the galaxies increasing with their distance from us.

Expansion of the Universe:
Hubble’s observations led to the conclusion that the universe is expanding. The distance between distant galaxies is increasing over time, and the universe is growing larger.

The Beginning of the Universe:
The expansion of the universe raised the question of its beginning. Hubble’s observations suggested that if the galaxies were moving apart, they must have been closer together in the past. Extrapolating back in time, this led to the idea that the universe had a beginning approximately 15 billion years ago.

Steady State Theory:
Some scientists, uncomfortable with the idea of a beginning, proposed the steady state theory. This theory suggested that the universe had always existed and had the same appearance at all times. New galaxies would form from matter continually created throughout space to replace those moving apart.

Contradiction of the Steady State Theory:
Observations of weak radio sources by the Cambridge Radio Astronomy Group under Martin Ryle contradicted the steady state theory. The observed distribution of radio sources indicated that the density of sources was higher in the past. This contradicted the basic assumption of the steady state theory that everything was constant in time, leading to its abandonment.

Alternative Theories:
Other theories were proposed to avoid a beginning for the universe. One idea suggested that the universe underwent a previous contracting phase, but irregularities would prevent all matter from collapsing to a single point. Instead, different parts of the matter would miss each other, causing the universe to expand again with a finite density.

The Marxist-Leninist Interpretation:
Lifshitz and Kaladnikov’s claim that the universe could bounce avoided questions about its creation, aligning with Soviet Marxist-Leninist dialectical materialism.

Hawking’s Disagreement and Penrose’s Collaboration:
At age 21, Hawking doubted Lifshitz and Kaladnikov’s proof and collaborated with Roger Penrose to develop new mathematical techniques to study the question.

The Singularity Theorems:
Hawking and Penrose’s theorems showed that the universe couldn’t bounce and predicted a singularity, a point of infinite density where time begins.

Observational Evidence:
In 1965, the discovery of a faint background of microwaves confirmed the idea of a very dense beginning to the universe.

Interpretations of the Results:
One interpretation is that God chose the beginning of the universe for reasons beyond human understanding, a view held by Pope John Paul. Another interpretation, favored by most scientists, suggests that general relativity breaks down in very strong gravitation and needs to be replaced.

Combining General Relativity and Quantum Theory:
To understand the universe’s origin, one must combine general relativity with quantum theory, using Feynman’s sum over histories approach.

The Origin Question:
The problem of the universe’s beginning is similar to questioning what existed at the edge of the world when it was thought to be flat. Hawking argues that combining general relativity and quantum theory allows for a solution, similar to how the Earth’s curvature solved the flat world conundrum.

Time and Space-Time:
Einstein’s theory unified time and space into space-time, but time still seemed distinct, requiring a beginning. When combining general relativity with quantum theory, time can behave like another spatial direction, eliminating the need for a definite beginning.

Universe’s Origin:
The beginning of the universe can be likened to the South Pole on Earth, where time commences and expands as one moves northward, resembling the growth of the universe. This eliminates the age-old objection that the universe’s beginning was a breakdown of normal laws, as the same laws persist at the South Pole as elsewhere.

Quantum Creation:
The universe’s spontaneous quantum creation is akin to the formation of steam bubbles in boiling water. Numerous small bubbles appear, but they typically collapse while still microscopic, leading to alternative universes that don’t develop stars or intelligent life.

Inflation and Expansion:
A few bubbles achieve a safe size, preventing re-collapse, and undergo rapid expansion, a process known as inflation. Inflation in the early universe was more significant than any inflation in prices, occurring at a rate of a million trillion trillion within a fraction of a second. This inflation contributed to the formation of a large, uniform universe, corresponding to observations of the early universe’s expansion.

Irregularities and Structure:
Slight irregularities in the early universe led to small variations in microwave background intensity. The MAP satellite observed these predicted variations, confirming the accuracy of the theory. These irregularities provide the blueprint for all structures within the universe, including galaxies and stars.

Cosmic Evolution:
The universe’s expansion shattered the idea of an ever-existing, everlasting universe, predicting instead that time and existence began with the Big Bang. The discovery of the cosmic microwave background and observations of black holes supported these theories.

Combining General Relativity and Quantum Theory:
Combining general relativity with quantum theory provided a framework for predicting the universe’s emergence from the Big Bang. During the inflationary period, the union of these theories predicted the formation of galaxies, stars, and other cosmic structures, matching observations.

Future Endeavors:
Ongoing research aims to better understand the accelerating expansion of the universe and predict its future. Cosmology remains an active field, with discoveries and advancements contributing to our knowledge of the origin and fate of the universe.

Professor Hawking’s Influence in Hong Kong:
Millions of copies of A Brief History of Time have been sold in Hong Kong, boosting the book industry. His visit has sparked a newfound interest in scientific ideas and a deep fascination with him and his work.

Impact on Intellect and Spirit:
The opportunity to witness a great thinker in person and hear his ideas explained directly has had a profound impact on Hong Kong’s citizens.

The Power of Scientific Ideas:
The captivating nature of scientific concepts and ideas has been revealed to the people of Hong Kong, demonstrating their ability to intrigue and engage a large audience.

Welcoming Gesture:
“””The speaker expressed deep gratitude to Professor Stephen Hawking for traveling from Cambridge University to Hong Kong UST for the occasion.”””

Token of Appreciation:
“””To show their appreciation, Hong Kong UST presented Professor Hawking with a special gift—an on-the-spot sketch of the renowned scientist created by one of Hong Kong’s celebrated sketch artists, Mr. Circle Lo.”””

Surprise Presentation:
“””Mr. Lo, renowned for his sketches of horses at the races, showcased his talent by capturing the essence of Professor Hawking’s scientific brilliance and his metaphorical journey through the universe.”””

Unveiling the Sketch:
“””The sketch, presented through Professor Hawking’s daughter, Lucy Hawking, symbolized the significance of the historic occasion and the lasting impression left by Professor Hawking’s presence.”””

Hawking’s Response to Public Questions:

Gravity’s Influence on Light:
Hawking affirmed gravity’s effect on light, as predicted by Einstein’s 1915 General Theory of Relativity. Gravity from the sun bends space, thereby deflecting light passing through it. The observation of the 1919 eclipse verified this effect, showing the bending of light from a distant star near the sun.

Hawking’s Perspective on Physical Challenges:
Hawking emphasized the significance of maintaining a positive worldview despite physical challenges. He noted that there’s still much one can accomplish in life, as he demonstrated. According to Hawking, we cannot afford to be disabled in spirit as well as physically, as people may lack time for those without resilience.

The Origin and Significance of Universal Constants:
Hawking explained that the constants in our universe, like the speed of light, the boiling point of water, and gravity, are determined by the parameters of the Standard Model. According to M-Theory, these parameters are determined by the geometry of six curled-up dimensions of space. There are various possible values for these parameters, but most lead to universes incompatible with life. In only a few universes will intelligent life emerge and ponder the values of these constants.

Hawking’s Response to God Question:
Stephen Hawking referenced a discussion between Napoleon and the French scientist Laplace about the role of God in the universe. Laplace dismissed the need for a “God hypothesis” in explaining the universe’s evolution, a response that appealed to Napoleon.

Hawking’s Explanation on the Big Bang and Black Holes:
Hawking addressed the similarity between the Big Bang and the collapse of a black hole, noting that both involve a change in the universe’s size. However, he highlighted a key difference: the Big Bang begins with a smooth and uniform universe, while a black hole collapse is highly irregular and non-uniform. He attributed this difference to the no-boundary proposal, which suggests that the universe’s history in imaginary time is a closed, smooth surface with small fluctuations due to the uncertainty principle. These fluctuations grow over time, leading to a smooth early universe and a highly irregular gravitational collapse.

Hawking’s American Accent:
Hawking explained that his voice synthesizer, which dates back to 1986, generates the American accent he uses. Although he has tried to find a more preferred voice, he has not found a better alternative and identifies with the current voice. The hardware for his synthesizer is outdated, making it challenging to obtain a software version. Hawking humorously mentioned that one software version had a French accent, which he joked would cause his wife to divorce him.

Hawking’s Unfulfilled Ambitions:
During a dinner conversation, Hawking expressed his desire to understand several complex phenomena, including what happens inside black holes, the origin of the universe, and the human race’s survival in the next hundred years. He also added a humorous note, saying that he would like to understand women, drawing applause from the audience.