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here's a bit of the conversation:
<quote>
what is the one bit of science from your field that you think everyone should know?
stephen hawking: science can explain the universe without the need for a creator.
brian cox: that's a wonderfully provocative sentence, actually. a beautiful answer. it's interesting, because you have previously used the word god in a similar way, in my view, to einstein. i am thinking of phrases like "knowing the mind of god", which you used in a brief history of time. in my opinion, einstein was using the word god as a shorthand to convey the majesty and beauty of the laws of physics, and did not intend this to be taken as a sign that he subscribed to a particular religious doctrine. is this the sense in which you have used the term before, and are you trying to clear up any misunderstandings caused by your previous use of the word "god", or have i read too much into your answer?
sh: in a brief history of time i used the word "god" like einstein did as a shorthand for the laws of physics. however, this is not what most people mean by god, so i have decided not to use the term. the laws of physics can explain the universe without the need for a god.
</quote>
i can't know what has happened to make hawking want clarify his view of god -- but his recent statements follow this conversation between him and richard dawkins. in this segment, dawkins explained why he believed that hawking's use of the word god allowed others to exploit and quote mine his writing. my speculation: perhaps hawking only recently realized that it would be better to make his views unambiguous.
audio and transcript on the guardian.
