A conversation between Stephen Hawking and a young child

Folks, this from Carl Olson of Insight Scoop:

I imagine this conversation happening, preferably on a major television broadcast:

Hawking: Something, what we call "the Universe", came from nothing.

Young Child (waving his hand wildly): How?

Hawking: By "creating itself".

Young Child (frowning): But how?

Hawking: Spontaneously.

Young Child (irritated): Using what?

Hawking: Nothing.

Young Child (through clenched teeth): How did it use "nothing" to make something?

Hawking: By using the law of gravity.

Young Child (hands on hips, glaring): Wait, isn't the law of gravity "something"?

Hawking: Yes, but the law of gravity exists because of creation, which exists because the Universe created itself out of nothing using the law of gravity.

Young Child: Yeah, right.

Excellent piece! Read it all here.