Late Pope Advised Hawking Not to Study Origin of Universe

[justmaybetiger]

Famous astrophysicist Stephen Hawking said Thursday that the late Pope John Paul II once told scientists they should not study the beginning of the universe because it was the work of God. The British author, who wrote the best-seller A Brief History of Time, said that the pope made the comments at a cosmology conference at the Vatican.

According to the article (http://www.nwfdailynews.com/articleArchive/jun2006/hawkingpope.php), The scientist then joked during a lecture in Hong Kong, "I was glad he didn't realize I had presented a paper at the conference suggesting how the universe began. I didn't fancy the thought of being handed over to the Inquisition like Galileo."

[dannyboy]

Maybe it's just me, but if the origin of the universe IS the work of God, then that would be all the more reason to study it.

[BigSugar]

Famous astrophysicist Stephen Hawking said Thursday that the late Pope John Paul II once told scientists they should not study the beginning of the universe because it was the work of God. The British author, who wrote the best-seller A Brief History of Time, said that the pope made the comments at a cosmetology conference at the Vatican.

According to the article (http://www.nwfdailynews.com/articleArchive/jun2006/hawkingpope.php), The scientist then joked during a lecture in Hong Kong, "I was glad he didn't realize I had presented a paper at the conference suggesting how the universe began. I didn't fancy the thought of being handed over to the Inquisition like Galileo."

why the hell did they have a cosmetology conference at the Vatican?? I always thought the Pope was a "winter". little blush, little powder and off to St. Peters.

[drougan]

why the hell did they have a cosmetology conference at the Vatican?? I always thought the Pope was a "winter". little blush, little powder and off to St. Peters.


Hehe....I suppose the proper word is cosmology.


At any rate, I heard this years ago on some TV special. As I recall the Pope's comments were directed specifically at the origins of a bunch of hydrogen at the beginnings of the universe that the scientific community hadn't explained yet, but that Hawking was speculating upon in one of his presentations.

[JSpaceman]

Maybe it's just me, but if the origin of the universe IS the work of God, then that would be all the more reason to study it.
"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!!!"

[SheepNutz]

Hawking 1
Pizzope 0

[justmaybetiger]

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!!!"
Douglas Adams has a wonderful story about television sets... He imagines somebody who believes that there's a little man inside the television set who's juggling the pictures and making it all happen. Well, he's taken on one side, and it's explained to him all about cathode ray tubes and scans and radio waves, and the whole principle about television sets is explained to him, and he nods and he says, yes, yes, I think I've got that, right, I understand that, hmm, very interesting. But I expect there are just a few little men in there, aren't there?

[frizgolf]

Hehe....I suppose the proper word is cosmology.

Funny, the only difference between the two words is a missing ET.

[PeterABnny]

Famous astrophysicist Stephen Hawking said Thursday that the late Pope John Paul II once told scientists they should not study the beginning of the universe because it was the work of God. He then went on to say that the world is, in fact, flat, and cautioned against travelling too far lest one fall off the face of the Earth.


Fixed that for ya.

[Handy Smurf]

"Late Pope?" Is that like the late night talk show version of the pope?

(opening of church service) "Hey we got a reeally big show!"



...Sorry, I got nuthin this morning

[twentyshots]

"Late Pope?" Is that like the late night talk show version of the pope?

(opening of church service) "Hey we got a reeally big show!"



...Sorry, I got nuthin this morning
i have a worse one..........
if Stephen Hawking was the Pope would he be called 'His Black Holiness'?


that joke collapsed on the weight of it's own unfunniness.

[frizgolf]

i have a worse one..........
if Stephen Hawking was the Pope would he be called 'His Black Holiness'?


that joke collapsed on the weight of it's own unfunniness.
Best goddamn thing I've read all day.

[Handy Smurf]

i have a worse one..........
if Stephen Hawking was the Pope would he be called 'His Black Holiness'?


that joke collapsed on the weight of it's own unfunniness.
bravo sir!

and I like the follow up even better

[DaHood]

i have a worse one..........
if Stephen Hawking was the Pope would he be called 'His Black Holiness'?


that joke collapsed on the weight of it's own unfunniness.
Brilliant!

:p

[berzerker]

i have a worse one..........
if Stephen Hawking was the Pope would he be called 'His Black Holiness'?


that joke collapsed on the weight of it's own unfunniness.

That sucked... in a good way.

[ICONOCLAST420]

Famous astrophysicist Stephen Hawking said Thursday that the late Pope John Paul II once told scientists they should not study the beginning of the universe because it was the work of God. The British author, who wrote the best-seller A Brief History of Time, said that the pope made the comments at a cosmology conference at the Vatican.

According to the article (http://www.nwfdailynews.com/articleArchive/jun2006/hawkingpope.php), The scientist then joked during a lecture in Hong Kong, "I was glad he didn't realize I had presented a paper at the conference suggesting how the universe began. I didn't fancy the thought of being handed over to the Inquisition like Galileo."
The Dark Ages called - They want their religion back.

[Homsar]

Stephen Hawking is British?

Huh.

Learn something new every day I suppose.

Can't they give his voice synthesizer an accent?

[the happy prole]

The original voice synthesizer thing he got was sent to him from a guy in the US.

They could give him a British accent, but he's said he likes the original voice. I guess because that's the only voice he's had for so many years, he thinks of it as his now. And of course everyone else does as well.

[back2vinyl]

You guys got it all wrong, the Pope was just giving him career advice.

[minkles]

Stephen Hawking is British?

Huh.

Learn something new every day I suppose.


I never knew Steven Hawking was black!

Oh wait... black hole... never mind. :o