Heaven 'is a fairy story': This is what Stephen Hawking says happens when people die
"I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail," he told the Guardian. "There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark."
Heaven 'is a fairy story': This is what Stephen Hawking says happens when people die "I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail," he told the Guardian. "There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark." Check out this story on USATODAY.com: https://usat.ly/2FI8XaM
USA Today NetworkMary Bowerman, USA TODAY Network Published 9:24 a.m. ET March 14, 2018 | Updated 5:23 a.m. ET March 15, 2018
He will go down in history as the man who changed the way we view the universe. USA TODAY
In this file photo taken on Sept. 19, 2013, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking poses for a picture ahead of a gala screening of the documentary "Hawking," a film about the scientist's life.(Photo: Andrew Cowie, AFP/Getty Images)
Legendary physicist Stephen Hawking lived for decades with the prospect of death hanging over his head, but unlike the rest of us, he never worried about what's next.
Hawking, who died at 76, spoke candidly in a 2011 Guardian interview about what he believes happens when people die. He told the Guardian that while he "wasn't afraid of death," he was in no hurry to die.
"I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail," he said. "There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark."
It should come as no surprise that Hawking was not religious. In Hawking's 2010 book, The Grand Design, Hawking said a creator is "not necessary" in the narrative of how the world was created.
The 76-year-old was confined to a wheelchair by a form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's Disease, a neurological disease that impacts movement. He communicated via a speech synthesizer. Hawking was diagnosed with ALS at 21.
For years, Hawking has warned that humankind faces extinction from a slew of threats ranging from climate change to destruction from nuclear war and genetically engineered viruses. Hawking recently estimated that humans have 100 years left on Earth — if we're lucky.
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Stephen Hawking through the years
British Scientist Stephen Hawking, a celebrated theoretical physicist and cosmologist is the author of "A Brief History of Time" and his black hole thermal radiation discovery in 1974 is considered to be one of the most important physics results of the past century. Professor Hawking has a motor neuron disease that has left him completely paralyzed. Seen hereStephen Hawking delivers a keynote speech as he receives the Honorary Freedom of the City of London, March 6, 2017. Hawking was presented the City of London Corporation's highest award Monday in recognition of his outstanding contribution to theoretical physics and cosmology. Matt Dunham, AP
Scientist Stephen Hawking speaks via satellite during the Science Channel portion of the 2010 Television Critics Association Press Tour at the Langham Hotel on Jan. 14, 2010, in Pasadena, California. Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images
Professor Stephen Hawking, author of "A Short History of Time," poses during a 1998 USA Today interview. Matt Mendelsohn, USA TODAY
The cover Stephen Hawking's best selling book 'A Brief History of Time.' HANDOUT
Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, left, and British scientist Stephen Hawking, center, during a press conference in London on July 20, 2015. Milner and Hawking announced a global science initiative for the search of civilized life in the universe. Andy Rain, EPA
Professor Stephen Hawking and Eddie Redmayne attend the U.K. premiere of "The Theory Of Everything" at Odeon Leicester Square on Dec. 9, 2014, in London. Redmayne won the 2015 Oscar for best performance by an actor in a leading role for his portrayal of Hawking in the biopic. Karwai Tang, WireImage
Stephen Hawking and daughter Lucy Hawking attend the EE British Academy film awards at the Royal Opera House on Feb. 8, 2015, in London. Danny Martindale, WireImage
British theoretical physicist professor Stephen Hawking gives a lecture during the Starmus Festival on the Spanish Canary island of Tenerife on Sept. 23, 2014. Desiree Martin, AFP/Getty Images
A handout picture released by the London Science Museum on Jan. 5, 2012, and taken on Dec. 14, 2011, shows British scientist Stephen Hawking in his office at the University of Cambridge where he is director of research for the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics and founder of the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology. The Science Museum commissioned a series of photographic portraits of Hawking as part of an exhibition to honor the eminent professor as he turned 70 on Jan. 8, 2012. AFP Photo/London Science Museum/Sarah Lee, Getty Images
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble perform for British physicist Stephen Hawking, right, at the 2010 World Science Festival opening night gala performance at Alice Tully Hall on June 2, 2010, in New York. Evan Agostini, AP
Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, of England, presents a lecture titled, "Out of a Black Hole" at Texas A&M on April 5, 2010, in College Station, Texas. Dave Einsel, AP
President Obama presents the Medal of Freedom to physicist Stephen Hawking during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House Aug. 12, 2009, in Washington, D.C. Obama presented the medal, the highest civilian honor in the United States, to 16 recipients during the ceremony. Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images
Dr. Stephen Hawking, professor of mathematics at the University of Cambridge, and his daughter Lucy Hawking stand on stage April 21, 2008, at George Washington University's Morton Auditorium in Washington, D.C. Hawking gave a speech entitled "Why we should go into space" as part of a lecture series marking NASA's 50th anniversary. Paul E. Alers/NASA via Getty Images
Professor Stephen Hawking delivers his speech at the release of the "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists" on Jan. 17, 2007, in London. A group of scientists assessing the dangers posed to civilization have moved the Doomsday Clock forward two minutes closer to midnight as an indication and warning of the threats of nuclear war and climate change. Bruno Vincent, Getty Images
Physicist Professor Stephen Hawking speaks at Zellerbach Auditorium on the UC Berkeley campus March 13, 2007 in Berkeley, California. Hawking delivered the annual J. Robert Oppenheimer Lecture in Physics to a sold out crowd. Justin Sullivan, Getty Images
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