--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Observations indicate that the universe…" description: "\"Observations indicate that the universe is expanding at an ever increasing rate. It will expand forever, getting emptier and darker.\" — Stephen Hawking" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/064/stephen-hawking-389_darker_observations-indicate-that-the-universe_2165792.jpg" --- # Observations indicate that the universe is expanding at an… ![“Observations indicate that the universe is expanding at an ever increasing rate. It will expand forever, getting emptier and darker.” quote by Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/064/stephen-hawking-389_darker_observations-indicate-that-the-universe_2165792.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/064/stephen-hawking-389_darker_observations-indicate-that-the-universe_2165792.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/064/stephen-hawking-389_darker_observations-indicate-that-the-universe_2165792.jpg) > “Observations indicate that the universe is expanding at an ever increasing rate. It will expand forever, getting emptier and darker.” [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The universe's expansion accelerates, leading to endless emptiness and darkness over time. **In simple terms:** The cosmos will keep expanding, becoming colder and darker. Key Takeaway Prepare for a changing cosmos. Themes cosmology future entropy Mood reflective somber Type scientific philosophical When to use this quote - space exploration - philosophical contemplation - long-term planning - environmental policy Key Concepts dark energy heat death astronomical timescales Questions to Reflect On - How does this future affect our view of existence? - What responsibilities do we have for future generations? A Different Perspective Scientific predictions may evolve with new data. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Darker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darker/) [Expand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expand/) [Expand Forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expand-forever-4615123/) [Expanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expanding/) [Expanding Increasing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expanding-increasing-4615122/) [Forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forever/) [Increasing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/increasing/) [Observation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observation/) [Rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rate/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Universe Expanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-expanding-320269/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) ## Related quotes > [Anyone who thinks consumption can expand forever on a finite planet is either insane or an economist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/anyone-who-thinks-consumption-can-expand-forever-on-a-finite-planet/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Observations indicate that the universe is expanding at an ever-increasing rate. It will expand forever, getting emptier and darker. Although the universe doesn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/observations-indicate-that-the-universe-is-expanding-at-an-ever/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [ If it \[the universe\] was expanding fairly slowly, the force of gravity would cause it eventually to stop expanding and then to start contracting.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/if-it-the-universe-was-expanding-fairly-slowly-the-force-of-gravity/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [One can imagine that God created the universe at literally any time in the past. On the other hand, if the universe is expanding,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/one-can-imagine-that-god-created-the-universe-at-literally-any-time/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“Hubble then made an even more amazing discovery. By measuring the red shift of the stars’ spectra (which is the light wave counterpart to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/hubble-then-made-an-even-more-amazing-discovery-by-measuring-the-red/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [If knowledge isn't self-knowledge it isn't doing much, mate. Is the universe expanding? Is it contracting? Is it standing on one leg and singing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/if-knowledge-isn-t-self-knowledge-it-isn-t-doing-much-mate-is-the/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [We've known for a long time that the universe is expanding. But about 15 years ago, my colleagues and I discovered that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-riess/we-ve-known-for-a-long-time-that-the-universe-is-expanding-but-about/) [Adam Riess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-riess/) > [“They say the universe is expanding. That should help ease the traffic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/they-say-the-universe-is-expanding-that-should-help-ease-the-traffic/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [“Of course, it would have been even more exciting if Einstein had trusted his original equations and simply announced that his general theory of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/of-course-it-would-have-been-even-more-exciting-if-einstein-had/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“How could space not be infinite? How could an infinite space get created in a finite time? What’s our Universe expanding into? Where in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-tegmark/how-could-space-not-be-infinite-how-could-an-infinite-space-get/) [Max Tegmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-tegmark/) > [Time and space recede and blast away like a universe expanding forever outward, and leaving only darkness and the two of us on its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/time-and-space-recede-and-blast-away-like-a-universe-expanding/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [That's what Hubble can do for us. It can tell us whether the universe is expanding forever or if one day it's going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-g-carey/that-s-what-hubble-can-do-for-us-it-can-tell-us-whether-the-universe/) [Duane G. Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-g-carey/) > [Einstein wrestled with a problem back before we even knew the universe was expanding, and he was looking for a way to keep the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-riess/einstein-wrestled-with-a-problem-back-before-we-even-knew-the/) [Adam Riess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-riess/) > [I return to problems i can't solve, not because i am an idiot, but because the real problems can't be solved. The universe is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-return-to-problems-i-can-t-solve-not-because-i-am-an-idiot-but/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [Jazz is like the universe: it's been expanding since its creation and it's connected to everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-batiste/jazz-is-like-the-universe-it-s-been-expanding-since-its-creation-and/) [Jonathan Batiste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-batiste/) ## More by Stephen Hawking > [The doctor who diagnosed me with ALS, or motor neuron disease, told me that it would kill me in two or three years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-doctor-who-diagnosed-me-with-als-or-motor-neuron-disease-told-me/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [We are the product of quantum fluctuations in the very early universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/we-are-the-product-of-quantum-fluctuations-in-the-very-early-universe/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [The human race does not have a very good record of intelligent behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-human-race-does-not-have-a-very-good-record-of-intelligent/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“We have finally found something that doesn’t have a cause, because there was no time for a cause to exist in. For me this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/we-have-finally-found-something-that-doesn-t-have-a-cause-because/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [ \[On President Bush's plan to get to Mars in 10 years\] Stupid. Robots would do a better job and be much cheaper because you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/on-president-bush-s-plan-to-get-to-mars-in-10-years-stupid-robots/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [I believe the simplest explanation is, there is no God. No one created the universe and no one directs our fate. This leads me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/i-believe-the-simplest-explanation-is-there-is-no-god-no-one-created/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [The Paralympic Games is about transforming our perception of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-paralympic-games-is-about-transforming-our-perception-of-the-world/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [The increase of disorder or entropy is what distinguishes the past from the future, giving a direction to time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-increase-of-disorder-or-entropy-is-what-distinguishes-the-past/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [Most sets of values would give rise to universes that, although they might be very beautiful, would contain no one able to wonder at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/most-sets-of-values-would-give-rise-to-universes-that-although-they/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [There is a fundamental difference between religion, which is based on authority, and science, which is based on observation and reason. Science will win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/there-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-religion-which-is-based-on/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“In the eighteenth century, philosophers considered the whole of human knowledge, including science, to be their field and discussed questions such as: Did the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/in-the-eighteenth-century-philosophers-considered-the-whole-of-human/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [A model is a good model if first it interprets a wide range of observations in terms of a simple and elegant model, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/a-model-is-a-good-model-if-first-it-interprets-a-wide-range-of/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“Empedocles noticed that if you cover the neck before you immerse it, a clepsydra does not fill. He reasoned that something invisible must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/empedocles-noticed-that-if-you-cover-the-neck-before-you-immerse-it-a/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [The human race shouldn't have all its eggs in one basket, or on one planet. Let's hope we can avoid dropping the basket until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-human-race-shouldn-t-have-all-its-eggs-in-one-basket-or-on-one/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [I hope I have helped to raise the profile of science and to show that physics is not a mystery but can be understood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/i-hope-i-have-helped-to-raise-the-profile-of-science-and-to-show-that/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) [Explore all 601 Stephen Hawking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) ## More Darker quotes > [I feel like everyone has a preference. You have women who don't like shorter guys. You have women who like taller guys. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sevyn-streeter/i-feel-like-everyone-has-a-preference-you-have-women-who-don-t-like/) [Sevyn Streeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sevyn-streeter/) > [“You see life in bright colors. Alas, ours is a world of darker shades.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fielding/you-see-life-in-bright-colors-alas-ours-is-a-world-of-darker-shades/) [Hannah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fielding/) > [Worry in the dark can make it even darker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/worry-in-the-dark-can-make-it-even-darker/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Maybe because Im a nice and sweet person in life, I like the darker roles. The really dark one is Lady Macbeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-netrebko/maybe-because-im-a-nice-and-sweet-person-in-life-i-like-the-darker/) [Anna Netrebko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-netrebko/) > [It's basically the same, just darker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kulwicki/it-s-basically-the-same-just-darker/) [Alan Kulwicki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kulwicki/) > [The only thing darker than 'Overboard' is 'Micki & Maude,' the bigamy comedy from 1984.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-duplass/the-only-thing-darker-than-overboard-is-micki-maude-the-bigamy-comedy/) [Mark Duplass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-duplass/) > [I do like to play the darker characters; I don't really know why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zuleikha-robinson/i-do-like-to-play-the-darker-characters-i-don-t-really-know-why/) [Zuleikha Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zuleikha-robinson/) > [This was the Darker Life, where every truth was written backward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/this-was-the-darker-life-where-every-truth-was-written-backward/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [There was a point I felt like everyone was heading in that direction of 'How can we be darker than 'Breaking Bad?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-dungey/there-was-a-point-i-felt-like-everyone-was-heading-in-that-direction/) [Channing Dungey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-dungey/) > [I naturally gravitate to darker characters. Gotham. Batman's suit. It's all dark; he's very interesting. It all comes from his builds and guts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-finch/i-naturally-gravitate-to-darker-characters-gotham-batman-s-suit-it-s/) [David Finch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-finch/) > [“The longer we hold secretes the darker they become”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hampshire/the-longer-we-hold-secretes-the-darker-they-become/) [Keith Hampshire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hampshire/) > [That's what's so cool about 'Once:' There is a layer of darker stuff, but it's balanced by this incredible light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristin-milioti/that-s-what-s-so-cool-about-once-there-is-a-layer-of-darker-stuff-but/) [Cristin Milioti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristin-milioti/) > [An inner darkness is darker than an outer darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/an-inner-darkness-is-darker-than-an-outer-darkness/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [I am an African-American woman of dark skin tone, and there are very specific roles that are usually given to African-American women of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lachanze/i-am-an-african-american-woman-of-dark-skin-tone-and-there-are-very/) [LaChanze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lachanze/) > [We are all like the bright moon, we still have our darker side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-all-like-the-bright-moon-we-still-have-our-darker-side/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 224 Darker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darker/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Observations indicate that the universe is expanding at an ever increasing rate. 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