SCIENCE SUPERSTAR
Celebrating Stephen Hawking
“W e are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the universe. That makes us something very special. ” That’s how the world-famous physicist Stephen Hawking once described humans. Professor Hawking passed away on 14 March aged 76.
The British scientist was best known for his groundbreaking work in physics. Hawking’s ideas helped us understand how the universe works, and made him famous around the world. In 1985, he said, “My goal is simple. It is a complete understanding of the universe, why it is as it is and why it exists at all.”
Born in Oxford on 8 January 1942, Hawking was the eldest of four children. As a student he was drawn to the world of physics and maths because he believed they offered the best insights into the universe.
Aged 21, when he was studying at university, Hawking was diagnosed with ALS, a form of motor neurone disease. When his illness left him unable to write, Hawking trained himself to visualise complex problems in his mind instead. Scientists who worked with Hawking suggest that this way of thinking helped him come up with his most brilliant theories.
He wrote a number of best-selling books, including A Brief History of Time. In this book, Hawking explains the science of cosmology (the study of how the universe began and then evolved) including how black holes work. These notoriously complicated topics were explained in a way that made them easier to understand for everyone.
Hawking’s illness didn’t stop him from trying new things. For his 65th birthday, Hawking experienced weightlessness on board a specially modified Boeing 727 jet. The plane drops from a significant height and allows passengers to float as if they are in space. Having been confined to a wheelchair for most of his life, Hawking said in floating he felt true freedom. “I was Superman for those few minutes,” he said.
After his death was announced, tributes poured in from scientists, politicians and celebrities all over the world. Actor Eddie Redmayne, who played Professor Hawking in The Theory of Everything –a film of his life – said, “We have lost a truly beautiful mind, an astonishing scientist and the funniest man I have ever had the pleasure to meet.”