The Grand Design

By Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow

1. The Mystery of Being
Science approach to mystery
● Humans have short lifespan, but still we are
curious about nature of universe, and we have
interesting questions about existence, creator of
universe
● Although, these are questions of philosophy,
philosophy is dead and modern science has taken
a lead
● Classical picture is not able to account world on
subatomic scales
● Quantum mechanics challenges classical theory
of single determinism by proposing that system
has every possible history
● Above idea doesn’t seem obvious, to follow such
statements we need to understand realism
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Approach to understanding
● Model dependent realism is based on idea
that our brains interpret the input from
sensory organs by building model of world
● When such models are successful we tend to
stick to that model for quality of reality
● M-theory comes as candidate for ultimate
theory. It predicts that many universes are
created out of nothing naturally from some
physical law
● Each theory in M-theory is a good description
of observations
● To reveal mystery of universe we need to
understand how existence of universe instead
of reasoning its existence
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2.The Rule of Law
Ancient perspective towards natural laws

● Ancient cultures depicted natural

phenomena like eclipses as a result of
things like wolves chasing sun and moon
● Early ages people related natural laws to
supernatural things, while Ionian
philosophers questioned them seeking
them to understand universe through
observation and reason
● Over time, people noticed regular patterns
in celestial events making strong
predictions, but still lacking a scientific
https://cdn.britannica.com/14/150614-050-54F72285/M
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Transition to modern world

● Nature has to intentionally obey laws of nature,

Aristotle focused upon why natures behaves like
this instead of how it behaves
● Personalities like Galileo, Descartes rigorously
detailed out concept of laws of nature
● To aid laws of nature with concept of God,
Descartes believed and proposed that God
designed laws of nature but had no choice while
choosing those laws
● These all things laid foundation for modern https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/wp-content/uploa
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Modern understanding of laws
● Going from supernatural interpretations to scientific aspects, modern
understanding sees laws of nature as mathematical descriptions of observed
patterns
● While accepting scientific determinism, there are still questions about human
behaviour such as free will
● Also are we sure that natural laws are unique, and there is no chance that
God can alter these laws in a time ahead
● There are still challenges on the way of understanding the universe
 Alternative Histories
Newtonian Theories:-

● Classical theories such as Newton’s are built upon a framework reflecting

everyday experience, in which material objects have an individual existence, can
be located at definite locations, follow definite paths, and so on.

Quantum Model:-

● Quantum physics provides a framework for understanding how nature operates

on atomic and subatomic scales, it dictates a completely different conceptual
schema, one in which an object’s position,path, and even its past and future are
not precisely determined.
Experiment
Newtonian Model

● Macroscopic object, such as a football, is

used.
● If we close one of the gaps, the
corresponding stream of balls would no
longer go through. However, this will not
affect the other stream of footballs.
● When we keep both the gaps open, we
observe that there is a superposition of what
we observe with each gap in the wall
separately opened.
“The Grand Design”, CH. 4, Two-Slit Soccer
● This goes along with our everyday
understanding of events.
Experiment
Quantum Physics Model

● Microscopic object, such as a molecule (say

buckyball), is used.
● The pattern observed is not the sum of the
patterns formed when each gap is opened
separately.
● If you shine a beam of light on the two slits
in the above experiment, two waves will
emerge and meet on the
screen.
● At some points their crests or troughs will
coincide and form a bright spot; at others
the crests of one beam will meet the
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troughs of the other, canceling them, and sites/222/2016/02/20113156/Figure_28_03_03a.jpg

leaving a dark area

Feynman’s view:- Newtonian or Quantum Model?

● Newtonian model :- There is no concept of detour

in the experiment. The particle will follow the
straight line.
● Quantum model:- The particle is said to have no
definite position during the time it is between the
starting and the endpoint (Heisenberg uncertainty
principle).
● Feynman realised the particles can take every
possible path between the starting and ending
point. This, Feynman asserted, is what makes
quantum physics different from Newtonian physics. “The Grand Design”, CH.4, Particle Paths
The Past
● In Newtonian model, the past is assumed to exist
as a definite series of events.
● But a quantum buckyball cannot be said to have
taken a definite path from source to screen.We
might pin down a buckyball’s location by
observing it, but in between our observations, it
takes all paths.
● Quantum physics tells us that no matter how
thorough our observation of the present, the
unobserved past, like the future, is indefinite and
exists only as a spectrum of possibilities.
● The fact that past takes no definite form means
that observations you make on a system in https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSBBH_Jr
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"Origin Myths: Universe's Beginnings"
● Boshongo people of south africa believes
that, there was only darkness, water and god
Bumba, who vomited sun, moon and all
planets.
● According to The Mayans of Mexico, maker
created all animals and first human from
white and yellow corn.
● During the Hsia Dynasty, ten suns appeared
in the sky, prompting the Emperor to order a
renowned archer to shoot them down;
however, she was banished to the moon for
her actions.
https://oldworldgods.com/chinese/who-created-humans-in-chinese-mythology
Big Bang

● Universe possesses a starting point and is currently expanding, with galaxies drifting farther apart.
This suggests a past when the universe was smaller—a concept now known as the Big Bang.

● Ideas supporting the big bang:

1. Cosmic Background Microwave Radiation (CMBR), remnants of the intensely hot and
dense early universe following the Big Bang.

2. The universe primarily consists of hydrogen, alongside approximately 23% helium and traces of
lithium, formed through nuclear fusion reactions.

● Inflation is the first phase of expansion, when universe suddenly blew up to ten million times.

● As per the General Theory of Relativity (GTR), inflation-induced expansion wouldn't be entirely uniform.
Origin of the universe
● According to GTR, there is a point in time called a
singularity. So, we cannot extent GTR to a beginning
of universe because it is break down at some point.

● We can add the effect of quantum theory to the

theory of relativity.

● No Boundary Proposal : The universe is imagined as

a closed surface without any boundaries, much like
the surface of the Earth. This means that just as
there is no "beginning" or "end" to the surface of the
Earth, there is no definite starting point for the
universe.

https://www.wbpscupsc.com/origin-of-universe
Feynman sum over histories
● We surely know that origin of universe is
quantum event, so we can use quantum
theory to predict the origin.

● We will consider origin as starting point

and and end point as todays universe.

● Top down approach instead of button up

approach so that we can eliminate the
rarely possible histories of the universe.

● “We are creating universe by observation,

rather than history creating us”

Stephen Hawking - The Grand Design

The Apparent Miracle
● Most of the fundamental constants in our theories appear fine-tuned in the sense that, they are
suitable for the development of life.

● Earth have eccentricity of 2% and lie in goldilocks region, where distance from sun where
liquid water can exist

● Our universe and it’s laws appear to have a design that both is tailor-made to support us and, if
we are to exist, leaves little room for alteration.

Weak Anthropic Principle : The universe appears to be fine-tuned or suited for the existence of
intelligent life because if it weren't, we wouldn't be here to observe it.

Strong Anthropic Principle : The fact that we exist imposes constraints not just on our
environment but on the possible laws of nature themselves.
What next?

● Many people would like us to use these coincidences as evidence of the work of God

● Human Centered Universe

● The goal is to find not just a single theory that explains all the forces but also one that
explains the fundamental environmental laws and constants we have been talking
about.

● Is M-theory unique, or demanded by any simple logical principle?

● Why M-theory?