Brief Introduction

Stephen Hawking’s Book – The Grand Design attempts to disprove the existence of God using Science and Mathematical models. In this book, it is claimed that the Universe is a result of the Laws of Physics alone, and God is not needed to explain how it began. However it misses out on a few very important aspects of design, that i can absolutely assure you are required to design even a meager object as humble and functional as a chair, or something more visually appealing as an aesthetically appealing rug. Let alone explain the design of something as complex as the Universe.

Despite my rudimentary understanding of quantum physics, I was easily able to see the flaws presented in the book. The mainstream public is fascinated with this individual. But that doesn’t mean much to me in terms of quality of content. In fact, the i feel the book deliberately skips on many things. Besides, I didn’t see anything new here. All i see is a deliberate and lucid art of deception to overemphasize a certain point, by hiding other points.

Firstly this book is not for beginners. Do not attempt to understand it, if you consider yourself new to a world of spiritual or intellectual development. People should first read more simpler books before starting with this one. The book contains beautiful graphical depictions and photos. I know how to do those, so i’m not fooled here.

It claims the Universe just evolved on it’s own. But as any designer knows, that any particular design cannot be improved on it’s own without iterative effort by a team or a senior entity whoever that maybe is another question altogether. Progress is not random and effortless, it cannot happen on its own. 

My Honest Review

• Spontaneous Design Iterations

1) Design Iterations do not happen on their own, they require a collaborative multidisciplinary effort. In order to iterate and improve a design, great amount of time and thinking has to spent so that the correct decisions are taken, to make sure progress and innovation is occurring over time. This is where the Universe stands as a very fine example of, perhaps so fine, that we shall be never be able to know what the true intricacies and details of it are.    

• Assumed Measurements without Tools

2) We cannot measure how the universe began, because we cannot be certain we have all the tools and resources necessary to measure all the variables that existed at the beginning of time itself. In this aspect Stephen Hawking makes a lot of assumptions about this and that, that are completely invalid from a design perspective. We can only assume, we cannot be certain, since none of us were there to witness it. So there is nothing to compare and contrast with at that such a monumental and expansive scale.

• Creating Symphony with Subsystems

3) Successful Design cannot happen without a system of checks and balances, in which there are frameworks to make sure that all the subsystems that are being designed will fit together to make a fully functioning system. This cannot happen on it’s own. It requires great effort and planning even for designing much simpler things like cellphones or cars, and to make sure that they work properly even for a small period of time in terms of human life. 

• How did life make this spectacular leap from unicellular simplicity to multicellular complexity?

4) The book jumps from uni-cellular to multi-cellular life almost immediately as if this is something very easy. Who’s controlling all the aspects that make this humongous leap favorable and possible? How did the cells figure out on their own? Oh ya lets get together and start partying eh?

• Prove by doing

5) Finally Stephen Hawking if you are so sure about what you are saying is true? Then kindly replicate the process, if you are sure about your ideas and thoughts. Kindly start from nothingness, nothing absolutely. You cannot do that, because you cannot start from nothingness, since you are part of something too. Because even if you attempt to start from nothingness, you shall fail, because if you do that you shall destroy yourself in that process. (Paradoxical Condition)

Stephen Hawking describes how the Universe is comprehensible because it can be modelled or simulated. This is not true. Only the simulated model is comprehensible. So whatever model using mathematics they built based on whichever parameters or variables. How can we know that those were the only variables that were required? Who was there to witness it? The Universe is not a model, it is the Universe. In human terms it is infinite and by its very nature incomprehensible and not even entirely measurable.

At best this book attempts to explain from a Physicist’s perspective, yet it fails to do so at so many other different levels. Thus it is incomplete and conjecture at best. Something as elegant, sophisticated, complex, and aesthetically beautiful, and massive in scale as large as the universe could not have materialized just spontaneously on its own.

I feel Stephen Hawkings disconnects the model of the universe from well known principles quite casually and in quite a sneaky way. I’d like to know the fundamental reason for all of this.