Stephen Hawking Lays It All Out

[Surgenator]

When will that day come?

My guess is when we fully understand the brain.

Will you say the human conscience is nothing more than an illusion created by chemicals flowing through our brains?

I believe the chemical processes and how they network are very important as well, not just the chemicals there.

Is there anything that is not purely material?

Yes. Actions and processes are not purely material.

If there is no spirit, then what distinguishes a human being from any other object, like a rock, a tree, or a fire hydrant?

So did you shit in your cereal bowl instead of the toilet? Because neither of those have spirits, so they must be indistinquishable.