Scientist Stephen Hawking was known for his groundbreaking work with physics, cosmology, black holes and relativity, and was the author of several popular science books including ‘A Brief History of Time.’ He was passed away at the age of 76.
Stephen Hawking was born in Oxford. England on 8th January 1942. He grew up in a highly educated family. He enjoyed mathematics and science in school where he earned the nickname “Einstein.”
When he was 21, Stephen started tripping and his speech became unclear. After a series of tests, doctors discovered that Hawking had a disease called ALS (also called Lou Gehrig’s disease) disease which paralyzed him and required a speech generating device to communicate. At the time, the doctors said he only had a few years to live. Though he was initially depressed over his diagnosis, he decided that there were things he wanted to accomplish with his life. He began to study and work harder than ever before.
He used a wheelchair and was largely unable to speak except through a voice synthesiser. Since 1997 the voice synthesiser (computer based communication system) which was sponsored and provided by Intel Corporation. More info.
His most famous theory is that black holes can emit radiation; also known as Hawking radiation. His best seller book, ‘A Brief History in Time’ made terms like the Big Bang and Black Holes easy to understand.
He said, “It is a waste of time to be angry about my disability. One has to get on with life and I haven’t done badly. People won’t have time for you if you are always angry or complaining.”
Part of his His life story was made into a 2014 film, The Theory of Everything, starring Eddie Redmayne.
In 2017, Hawking spoke to an audience in Hong Kong by hologram, beamed live from his office in Cambridge.
Though he left the world on 14th March 2018, but is still a living legend in everyone’s heart
His last speech was at Fundamental Physics Prize Ceremony.
“I want to share my excitement and enthusiasm about this quest. So remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious, and however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.”
