"Where did Hawkins get his science acccredition on to be considered an expert on "the meaning of life"?"

Lots of famous people get 'noticed' when they speak on any subject. Linus Pauling made his 2nd round of fame discoursing on Vitamin C.

Some famous people are famous because they have learned to think deeply, which 'may' help them see points in areas other than their specialty... it is up to us to be careful not to automatically nod in agreement just because they are famous.

(*I* am an expert on the Meaning of Life, because I have collected many dozens of cartoons on the topic. ☺)