[Skybird]

I read about that some days ago, too. While I agree that a theistic conception makes no sense in explaining the universe, Hawkings imo stumbles when he c,laims that science does explain it. What he said, reminds of the theory of so-called self-organisation (maybe he even refers to that, I have only read a brief summary in the news about the event where he spoke).

I happen to agree that matter has the ablity of self-organisation indeed.

However, neither science nor blindly assuming the existence of a god explains WHy it has that chracteristic. If Hawkings really said that "science can explain the universe", then he is practicing a lousy standard or scientific methodology. Science does not do that, and I dohb t it ever will be capable to do that. Because the 100 billion dollar question is: why is there something at all? why is there simply not just nothing?

And this is a complete mystery, a secret, ad balance on the sharp edge of a sword: between hope and trust, and existential doubt and despair. Assuming that a god fired a starzting shot, is just guessingk, there is no evidence, and no reason to assme that. Plus there is plenty of arguments and mind experiments shopwing how absurd the human conception of gods existing is.

But science also is not capable to explain the beginning of the universe. It only is increaiongly competent in explaing the patterns and mechanics by which the universe is unfolding scince it began. Science holds the current theory of a Big Bang, and it is quite cionvincing in explainign events since then. But it does not have anything to say about WHY there was the Big Bang it assumes.

Why is there anything at all? Why is there not just nothing? If there was a Big Bang indeed, why did it happen? Where did it happen if nothing was before? Or was there something before? Something different? Etc etc etc.

The most human and most honest answer is: we do not know, no matter the religious or scientific gymnastics we try. A walk on the sharp edge of the sword this life is indeed.

And it hurts. Everybody is a liar who claism that he never feels the pain, the existential doubt. That also is part of what it means to be human. And it seems to be the drive behind quite many things we try, in good and in bad.

therefore I would want to supplement Hawkings staements, or thre theory of self-organisation. I would want to say that matter not only is able to aquire more complex forms of organisation, but also has the ability to aquire more and more self-awareness, and that maybe the meaning of life and existence and the universe is that the universe becomes finally aware of itself. at least that is how I use to think of it.