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As Richard Feynman once observed, “We are lucky to live in an age in which we are still making discoveries….The age in which we live is the age in which we are discovering the fundamental laws of nature.” Since first publication of this book on April 1, 1988, and its last revision in 1996, there have been some remarkable new discoveries in physics. And while some of the theories I discussed in the original text remain the same, in some cases a new picture of reality is emerging. So I am pleased to have the opportunity to add, in the appendix to this new edition, updates on six topics that underpin some of my proudest accomplishments as a physicist: my singularity theorems with Roger Penrose, the so-called “Hawking radiation” from black holes, and my no boundary proposal, an attempt to unify Einstein’s work with quantum mechanics. As before, my goal is to highlight the excitement of these discoveries for all readers interested in the big, basic questions about our universe.
Stephen Hawking