When you first boot up Starfield, you're basically a glorified space miner with a laser cutter and a dream. But then you find that first Artifact. Everything changes. The screen goes white, the music swells, and suddenly you aren't just playing a Bethesda RPG; you're playing through a love letter to theoretical physics. It’s impossible to ignore the DNA of Starfield A Brief History of Time references scattered throughout the Settled Systems.
Bethesda didn’t just make a game about shooting space pirates. They made a game about the "Why" of the universe.
Todd Howard has been pretty vocal about the influence of "hard" sci-fi. He wanted that NASA-punk aesthetic to feel grounded. But the grounding isn't just in the fuel tanks or the spacesuits. It's in the philosophical questions that Stephen Hawking popularized back in 1988. When Hawking wrote A Brief History of Time, he wanted to make the Big Bang and Black Holes understandable to the average person sitting on their couch. Starfield tries to do the exact same thing, but with a controller in your hand.
The Hawking Connection: Why Entropy Matters in the Settled Systems
If you’ve spent any time in the Constellation lodge, you know the vibe. It’s all mahogany, brass, and old books. It feels like a university library because, at its heart, Constellation is a group of physicists and explorers trying to solve the mystery of creation. This is the core of Starfield A Brief History of Time parallels. Hawking spent his life's work trying to find a "Theory of Everything." In the game, the Artifacts are the literal pieces of that theory.
Remember how Hawking talked about the Arrow of Time? He argued that the universe is moving from order to disorder—entropy. In Starfield, the Unity represents the opposite. It’s the point where all those disordered timelines and multiverses converge into a single moment of clarity.
It’s heavy stuff for a game where you can also spend three hours decorating a cockpit with succulent plants.
But that’s the brilliance of it. You aren't just reading about the expansion of the universe. You are traveling through it. When you jump from Alpha Centauri to Volii, you’re experiencing the vastness that Hawking described. The scale is terrifying. It makes you feel small. Honestly, that’s exactly how Hawking wanted people to feel when they looked at the stars—insignificant but capable of understanding the infinite.
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Gravity as a Narrative Device
Gravity is the "Main Character" of physics. Hawking knew it. Bethesda knew it. In the book, Hawking explains how gravity shapes the very fabric of spacetime. In the game, your "powers"—the ones you get from the temples—are almost entirely based on manipulating gravity.
- Anti-Gravity Field: Directly ignores the laws Hawking detailed.
- Gravity Well: Basically creates a localized mini-black hole.
- Personal Atmosphere: Manipulates the physical constraints of your environment.
These aren't just "magic spells." They are a gamified exploration of the forces that govern our reality. When you enter a temple and see those rings spinning, you’re looking at a visual representation of a gravitational singularity. It’s a moment of pure scientific wonder wrapped in a gameplay loop.
The Multiverse and the "Grand Design"
One of the most controversial yet fascinating parts of Hawking’s later work (and the posthumous papers) was the idea of the "no-boundary" proposal and the existence of multiple histories. This is the literal foundation of Starfield's New Game Plus (NG+).
Spoilers ahead, but if you’re reading about Starfield A Brief History of Time, you probably already know.
When you step into the Unity, you aren't just "resetting" your save file. You are moving to a parallel universe. This is a direct nod to the "Many-Worlds Interpretation" that Hawking discussed. Every time you go through, things are slightly different. Maybe Constellation is gone. Maybe everyone is a plant. It’s a cheeky way for Bethesda to play with the idea that every possible version of the universe exists simultaneously.
Real Science vs. Space Magic
Look, Starfield isn't a textbook. It takes liberties. Hawking would probably have a lot to say about the "Grav Drive" and how it bypasses the speed of light. In A Brief History of Time, Hawking is very clear: nothing travels faster than light. Period.
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Bethesda cheats by using "folding" space—the Einstein-Rosen bridge (wormholes). While Hawking acknowledged these as theoretically possible, he was famously skeptical about them being stable enough for a ship to pass through. Starfield just says, "Add more He-3 to the tank and you'll be fine."
Is it realistic? No. Is it in the spirit of the book? Absolutely.
The game encourages that same "child-like curiosity" that Hawking maintained until his death. He used to say, "Look up at the stars and not down at your feet." Constellation’s entire motto is basically a paraphrase of that quote.
The Artifacts: A Brief History of Human Obsession
The Artifacts are the ultimate MacGuffin. They are pieces of metal that hum and make you see visions of the cosmos. People have compared them to the monoliths in 2001: A Space Odyssey, which is fair. But their function is more in line with Hawking’s search for the "Initial Condition."
If we can find out what happened at $t=0$ (the moment of the Big Bang), we can understand the mind of God—or so the famous line goes.
In Starfield, the Artifacts are the key to $t=0$. They are the remnants of the power that created the multiverse. Finding them isn't just about getting a cool new power; it's about historical and scientific archeology. You’re digging up the history of time itself.
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Why this matters for your playthrough
If you approach Starfield as just another shooter, you're going to get bored. The combat is fine, but the ideas are where the game shines. To really get the Starfield A Brief History of Time experience, you have to lean into the roleplay of a scientist.
- Read the Slates: There are countless data pads scattered in labs that talk about quantum mechanics and orbital mechanics.
- Talk to Barrett: He’s the most "Hawking-esque" character. He masks his deep existential dread and scientific brilliance with humor.
- Visit the landmarks: Go to Earth. See what happens when a planet loses its atmosphere—a grim reminder of the "Goldilocks Zone" fragility Hawking warned us about.
Actionable Steps for the Starborn Explorer
If you want to maximize the "History of Time" vibes in your next session, stop fast-traveling everywhere. It kills the sense of scale. Hawking wrote about the vast distances between stars to make us appreciate the miracle of our existence.
First, build a dedicated science outpost. Don't just make it a resource farm. Put it on a moon with a view of a gas giant. Use the "Scanning" and "Astrophysics" skills to actually learn about the planets you're visiting. It sounds nerdy, but seeing the chemical composition of a moon and then landing there to find exactly what the scan predicted is incredibly satisfying.
Second, pay attention to the dialogue in "High Price to Pay." This is the turning point where the game stops being about rocks and starts being about the cost of knowledge. Hawking often spoke about the dangers of artificial intelligence and the risks of contact with superior civilizations. The Starborn are essentially that "superior civilization," and they aren't exactly friendly.
Third, actually pick up a copy of Hawking’s book. It’s surprisingly short. Reading a chapter about black holes and then immediately flying into a system with a neutron star in Starfield creates a level of immersion that most games can't touch.
The Settled Systems are a playground, but they are also a laboratory. Bethesda gave us the tools to explore the most complex theories of the 20th century in a way that feels like an adventure. Whether you're a fan of theoretical physics or just like the way the stars look from your cockpit, the influence of Starfield A Brief History of Time is what gives the game its soul.
The universe is big. It's weird. And it's waiting for you to find the next piece of the puzzle. Just make sure you have enough fuel for the jump back.