Stephen Hawking does not know everything

Oh, he knows more than you or I do. He's a very smart guy. He's an expert in his field, which is theoretical physics. So he knows a lot about that subject. If I was a grad student in theoretical physics, I'd do anything possible to take a class with him-which is probably impossible. Someone with his time demands and fragile state of health can't just teach nonstop. I also think that most big time "professors" aren't in college to teach, they are in college to do research, and that's how it should be at that level.

Now for the frustrating part. When Stephen Hawking talks about chemistry, he might not know everything, especially about advanced chemistry. When he talks about biology, he might now know everything about it. He probably knows more than the basics-and he certainly knows more than you or I do-but he shouldn't be counted on to give perfect knowledge of advanced biology matters. The media will make it out to be that someone who is a Ph.D in one science knows everything about every other topic out there. Not always the case. In fact, it's often not the case. When someone dedicates their life to one topic they usually spend so much time on that one topic that they don't know that much about other topics. That's why an expert in Shakespeare might not be an expert in Victorian literature. They'll know more than you or I-but not more than an expert in the field.

Sigmund Freud (a man I have huge respect for) once met Albert Einstein. They had a pleasant, but vapid conservation. When asked why, Freud said, "He knew as much about psychology as I do about physics." Same basic thing with Hawking