--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Back in 2007, I had the opportunity to…" description: "\"Back in 2007, I had the opportunity to meet Professor Stephen Hawking through the X PRIZE Foundation. In my first conversation with him I learned that ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c6/peter-diamandis-1516_conversation_back-in-2007-i-had-the-opportunity-to-me_769161.png" --- # Back in 2007, I had the opportunity to meet Professor… ![“Back in 2007, I had the opportunity to meet Professor Stephen Hawking through the X PRIZE Foundation. In my first conversation with him I learned that he was passionate about flying into space someday.” quote by Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c6/peter-diamandis-1516_conversation_back-in-2007-i-had-the-opportunity-to-me_769161.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c6/peter-diamandis-1516_conversation_back-in-2007-i-had-the-opportunity-to-me_769161.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c6/peter-diamandis-1516_conversation_back-in-2007-i-had-the-opportunity-to-me_769161.png) > “Back in 2007, I had the opportunity to meet Professor Stephen Hawking through the X PRIZE Foundation. In my first conversation with him I learned that he was passionate about flying into space someday.” [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Meeting a renowned scientist highlighted the power of curiosity and ambition in advancing humanity. **In simple terms:** Meeting a great mind inspires ambition. Key Takeaway Seek bold goals and learn from mentors. Themes inspiration ambition science Mood hopeful motivational Type inspirational personal When to use this quote - career planning - personal growth - space advocacy - mentorship - public speaking Key Concepts curiosity legacy exploration Questions to Reflect On - What bold goal will you pursue? - How can you turn inspiration into a plan? A Different Perspective Personal ambition may not translate into immediate action without resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Flying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flying/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Passionate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passionate/) [Prize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prize/) [Professors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professors/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) ## Related quotes > [It's hard for me to speculate about what motivates somebody like Stephen Hawking or Elon Musk to talk so extensively about AI. I'd have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/it-s-hard-for-me-to-speculate-about-what-motivates-somebody-like/) [Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/) > [Stephen Hawking said he spent most of his first couple of years at Cambridge reading science fiction (and I believe that, because his grades…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/stephen-hawking-said-he-spent-most-of-his-first-couple-of-years-at/) [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) > [Once again, my colleague Stephen Hawking has upset the apple cart. The event horizon surrounding a black hole was once though to be an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/once-again-my-colleague-stephen-hawking-has-upset-the-apple-cart-the/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [“Stephen Hawking the reputation of being the smartest person alive. Most of us agree.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/stephen-hawking-the-reputation-of-being-the-smartest-person-alive/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“Stephen Hawking said that his quest is simply "trying to understand the mind of God".”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawkings/stephen-hawking-said-that-his-quest-is-simply-trying-to-understand/) Stephen Hawkings > [ I think my dad \[ Stephen Hawking\] would have been pleased if I had turned out a scientist because he truly believes that is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/i-think-my-dad-stephen-hawking-would-have-been-pleased-if-i-had/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [In 2002, a Scottish journalist, during a dinner meant to be private, absolutely wanted me to react to Stephen Hawking's comments. I said one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-higgs/in-2002-a-scottish-journalist-during-a-dinner-meant-to-be-private/) [Peter Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-higgs/) > [Earlier today, we got a call from Stephen Hawking. He's a genius, and after 6,028 shows he ran the numbers and he said it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/earlier-today-we-got-a-call-from-stephen-hawking-he-s-a-genius-and/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [“Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking has proved that if two black holes unite, the surface area of the final black hole must exceed the sum of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifford-a-pickover/astrophysicist-stephen-hawking-has-proved-that-if-two-black-holes/) [Clifford A. Pickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifford-a-pickover/) > [“We are too small (compared to the universe), but capable of doing very big things" Stephen Hawking when studying in Cambridge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katerina-papanikolaou/we-are-too-small-compared-to-the-universe-but-capable-of-doing-very/) Katerina Papanikolaou > [I flipped back through the pad of paper while I thought about what Stephen Hawking would do next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-flipped-back-through-the-pad-of-paper-while-i-thought-about-what/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [I would love to photograph Stephen Hawking. I am just fascinated by science, I really am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-christensen/i-would-love-to-photograph-stephen-hawking-i-am-just-fascinated-by/) [Helena Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-christensen/) > [Ultimately, my Ph.D. is in mathematical physics, focusing on quantum field theory and curved space-time, and I worked with Stephen Hawking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/ultimately-my-ph-d-is-in-mathematical-physics-focusing-on-quantum/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [ Stephen Hawking won \[Babson Institute competition \] one year with his black hole stuff. It's keeping an open mind on whether gravity exists or… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-laffoley/stephen-hawking-won-babson-institute-competition-one-year-with-his/) [Paul Laffoley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-laffoley/) > [The image of Stephen Hawking - who has died aged 76 - in his motorised wheelchair, with head contorted slightly to one side and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-penrose/the-image-of-stephen-hawking-who-has-died-aged-76-in-his-motorised/) [Roger Penrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-penrose/) ## More by Peter Diamandis > [I believed that once we got to the Moon, there was no stopping us. But in fact, we did stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/i-believed-that-once-we-got-to-the-moon-there-was-no-stopping-us-but/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [My personal fascination with the power of the crowd has been growing: Exactly what can a 'crowd' accomplish? We know crowds can raise billions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/my-personal-fascination-with-the-power-of-the-crowd-has-been-growing/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [A Masai warrior on a cellphone in the middle of Kenya has better mobile comm than President Reagan did 25 years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/a-masai-warrior-on-a-cellphone-in-the-middle-of-kenya-has-better/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [I think people are dreaming big because they have the tools to dream big. 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I think the human race doesn't have a future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/life-on-earth-is-at-an-ever-increasing-risk-of-being-wiped-out-by/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [If the idea is really new and unique and big, other people will all think it is bad and is going to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/if-the-idea-is-really-new-and-unique-and-big-other-people-will-all/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [Your mindset matters. It affects everything - from the business and investment decisions you make, to the way you raise your children, to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/your-mindset-matters-it-affects-everything-from-the-business-and/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [As lower-cost phones begin to penetrate, they'll become the educator and physician everywhere on the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/as-lower-cost-phones-begin-to-penetrate-they-ll-become-the-educator/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [You either disrupt your own company or someone else will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/you-either-disrupt-your-own-company-or-someone-else-will/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [Your mission is to find a product or service that can positively impact the lives of 1 billion people because that's the game we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/your-mission-is-to-find-a-product-or-service-that-can-positively/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [In 1820, the average lifespan was just 26 years. 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