Genius by Stephen Hawking

HAWKING

THIS MACHINE ILLUSTRATES THE FIRST KEY PRINCIPLE BEHIND WHAT YOU ARE. IT HAS LOTS OF MOVING PARTS THAT TRIGGER EACH OTHER IN A CHAIN REACTION. IT'S DESIGNED TO REVEAL SOMETHING THAT YOU MAY FIND DISTURBING. WILL MY VOLUNTEERS GET THE POINT OF THE MACHINE? INTERESTING. YEAH.

AMANDA

OK.

HAWKING

FIRST, THEY HAVE TO FIND OUT HOW TO START IT.

AMANDA

I WONDER WHAT HAPPENS OVER HERE, THOUGH. LOOK AT THIS ARM. IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE GOD-THING YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE IT'S AN ARM OUT OF THE CLOUDS OR WHATEVER? SAM,

CHUCKLING

I THINK YOU'RE PROBABLY RIGHT. IT'S "BEGINNING" UP THERE. SHALL WE, UH... SHALL WE GIVE IT A GO AND SEE IF IT'LL WORK? YEAH. LET'S JUST GO OVER THERE. OK.

SAM

I THINK IT STARTS UP HERE, RIGHT? GIVE ME A COUNTDOWN, GUYS.

ZAI

OK, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

CLUNK

ZAI

OOH...OK.

AMANDA

OH.

LIQUID FLOWING

ZAI

WHOA.

AMANDA

AH-AH.

SAM

HITS THE DOMINOES. YES? KEEP GOING!

ZAI

NICE!

OK. ZAI

I LOVE THAT.

CLICK

OK. ZAI

OH!

SAM

OH, I THINK HE'S GOT STUCK.

HAWKING

THE MACHINE WORKS BY TRANSFERRING AN IMPULSE FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER SUSTAINED BY THE INPUT OF ENERGY. THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT MOVING PARTS, EACH FOLLOWING THE LAWS OF PHYSICS. AND TOGETHER, THEY KEEP THE IMPULSE MOVING.

SAM

IS IT GONNA BE ENOUGH? YES! HA HA HA!

ZAI

"STEPHEN HAWKING'S MACHINE OF LIFE."

HAWKING

SO, WHAT HAS THIS GOT TO DO WITH US?

SAM

WHAT DO YOU THINK, RESET IN IN ORDER? LET'S TRY AND RESET IT,

AND MAYBE THAT'LL HELP US FIGURE OUT-- ZAI

YEAH. ONE THING ALWAYS LEADS TO ANOTHER. SO, ONE PROCESS HAS TO HAPPEN BEFORE ANOTHER PROCESS HAPPENS. LIKE, CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE TO OCCUR BEFORE SOMETHING CAN MOVE FORWARD.

ZAI

IT HELPED TO SHOW ME THAT EVERYTHING IS A CAUSE AND EFFECT. IT REMINDED ME ALL ABOUT CHAIN REACTIONS.

SAM

SO I GUESS WE HAD A CAUSE AND EFFECT, AND EVERYTHING HAS TO BUILD UP AND UP AND UP. CAN WE GIVE IT A GO?