Adam: I got involved with cosmology because I wanted to understand the universe. Math and physics - there's a right and a wrong answer. I was in art class when I was a little kid and my teacher asked me what I saw in this one painting - can't remember which one right now - but I told her what I saw and she told me it was wrong. She told me that my interpretation was not what the painter was intending. I know it's a little moment in my life but it had an incredible impact. It was really difficult. I needed to be right after that. Math was an art where I could always be right. Math always has an answer.
Other: The teacher frustrates me. Regardless of what an artist was inspired to say with their art, good art should have people interpreting all sorts of things. Every person should like a painting for a different reason. We should all see different things.
Adam: I don't care about art.
Other: No, now you care about being right.
Adam: No, I used to care about being right.
Other: And now?
Adam: Now, I'm scared. There's only one question that matters. And it's a matter of opinion.
Other: Are you still talking about physics?
Adam: Yes.
Other: What's the question that matters?
Adam: One day, a man told me he was an optimist. I asked him to describe his optimism and he said: "No matter how bad things get, given enough time they'll get better." I thought it was such a stupid answer, because if things are good, given enough time they'll get worse. It's a cycle, right? It's Ouroboros. Given enough time, there is only one thing that will certainly happen. One thing that won't cycle beyond it's happening. Everything comes down to one thing. For certain - FOR CERTAIN - given enough time everything will come to an end. And the question that matters is: "How do you feel about that?" That's what everyone has to ask themselves. "Everything will end and how do I feel about that?"
Other: And how do you feel about that?
Adam: Well, I think I'm a pessimist. I can't be an optimist because that idea scares the shit out of me. I think I'm a little bitter about it.
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