Great Scientist And An Extraordinary Man Stephen Hawking Dies At 76
Great Scientist And An Extraordinary Man Stephen Hawking Dies At 76: Professor Hawking’s children, Lucy, Robert, and Tim told to Britain’s Press Association (BPA) in a statement that their beloved father Stephen Hawking died peacefully at his home in the British university city of Cambridge in the early hours of Wednesday morning. After developing a form of motor neuron disease in 1964 at the age of 22, Hawking challenged the predictions that he would only live for a few years. He lost physical mobility, almost got paralyzed and speak only with his trade mark voice synthesizer.
Stephen William Hawking, born on January 8, 1942, became one of the world’s most extraordinary scientists, earning comparisons with Albert Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton. In 1974, he became one of the youngest fellows of Britain’s most prestigious scientific body, the Royal Society, at the age of 32. In 1979 he was selected Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University, where he had moved from Oxford University to study theoretical astronomy and cosmology after Newton.
His work focused on quantum theory how the smallest particles in the Universe behave, theory of relativity, the theoretical prediction that black holes emit radiation, often called Hawking radiation, theory of cosmology explained by a union of the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics and the nature of space and time to explain the creation of the Universe and how it is governed. He once said that his goal is simple and that is completely understanding the universe, why it is as it is and why it exists at all.
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. His book, A Brief History of Time, appeared on the British Sunday Times best-seller list for a record-breaking 237 weeks in which he cemented his superstar status, dedicated his life to unlocking the secrets of the Universe.
Hawking, at the time of his death was still able to communicate using a single cheek muscle attached to a speech-generating device. He was a man of courage and persistence. With his brilliance and humor he inspired people across the world,” the family said. “He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years.” He will be missed.