Three visions of the universe: Newton – Einstein – Hawking

Abstract

In these considerations, he refers to three such visions of the universe, which, although they had the hallmarks of science, also left room for various types of speculations. That's why I call them visions, not scientific theories. This does not mean, however, that I deprive them of their right to be scientific. In fact, they gained this right in their time and still retain it to some extent. However, none of them has the status of a theory to which various reservations would not be made and significant corrections would not be introduced. It applies to both Newton's theory of gravity, Einstein's general theory of relativity and Hawking's theory of a boundaryless universe. My general thesis comes down to the claim that even the most intellectually sophisticated scientific theories are unable to provide definitive answers to fundamental questions about the beginning of the universe and its fate.