We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet. – Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with a form of motor neuron disease, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, left him almost completely paralyzed. He died peacefully at his home in Cambridge in the early hours of Wednesday, his family said.
Stephen William Hawking was an English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author and Director of Research at the Center for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge in the UK. Hawking was an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), a lifetime member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. In 2002, Hawking was ranked number 25 in the BBC’s poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. He was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge between 1979 and 2009 and achieved commercial success with works of popular science in which he discusses his own theories and cosmology in general. His book, A Brief History of Time, appeared on the British Sunday Times best-seller list for a record-breaking 237 weeks. Beginning in 1973, Hawking moved into the study of quantum gravity and quantum mechanics. His results, which Hawking presented from 1974, showed that black holes emit radiation, known today as Hawking radiation, which may continue until they exhaust their energy and evaporate. Initially, Hawking radiation was controversial. By the late 1970s and following the publication of further research, the discovery was widely accepted as a significant breakthrough in theoretical physics.
Hawking did not rule out the existence of a Creator, asking in A Brief History of Time “Is the unified theory so compelling that it brings about its own existence?” “If we discover a complete theory, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason – for then we should know the mind of God.” In the same book he suggested that the existence of God was not necessary to explain the origin of the universe. Later discussions with Neil Turok led to the realization that the existence of God was also compatible with an open universe. Hawking was married twice. Both marriages ended in divorce. He is survived by three children with his first wife, Jane Wilde. For more on Professor Hawking, please click here.
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