John Oliver’s chat with Stephen Hawking is surely the most delightfully funny interview I’ve yet to see with the world famous physicist and acknowledged genius. Hawking was good too. I gave John a pat on the head because Hawking has a ball at his expense. As the first guest in Last Week Tonight’s new ‘People Who Think Good’ series, Hawking is properly underwhelmed by the dubious honor. Apparently people have been too busy asking Hawking the secrets of the universe, for him to display wry sense of humor, although we knew he had one. Hawkings has made cartoon appearances on both ‘The Simpsons’ and ‘Futurama.’
Hawkings and Oliver discuss some weighty topics such as imaginary time, black holes, life on other planets and artificial intelligence. Hawkings makes dire predictions about artificial intelligence, and why computers are likely to be our undoing. There’s not enough jocularity on the planet to subdue the goosebumps which rise when he predicts the progress of artificial intelligence!
Another fascinating topic is that of an infinite number of universes…Everything is possible with this theory – Every decision you didn’t make, every road you thought to go down, could be happening somewhere else right now. There are no limits – except the possibility of John scoring a date with Charlize Theron. One of the greatest minds on the planet pronounces John to be ‘an idiot.’
To step back into ongoing discussions which often falls into a debate pitting science against creationism ( or God) Hawkings has this to say: “An expanding universe does not preclude a creator.”
This man IS science. Can we all just get along now?