Science and Sh

Professor Stephen Hawking, 68, is a theoretical physicist and cosmologist. He studied physics at Oxford, went on to do research at Cambridge and was the Lucasian professor of mathematics at Cambridge for 30 years. His books include A Brief History Of Time (1988), The Universe In A Nutshell (2001) and The Grand Design, published this month. Professor Brian Cox, 42, is a physicist and broadcaster. While studying at Manchester University, where he is now a research fellow, he joined the pop group D:Ream, best known for the Labour 1997 election anthem Things Can Only Get Better. He is a researcher on the Large Hadron Collider and this March presented Wonders Of The Solar System on BBC2. The accompanying book is out next month.
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.
BC: As for my answer, I think everyone should know a few basic facts about the universe. It began 13.7 billion