Stephen HawkingMy Personal Testimonial
It is a sad Wednesday morning, March 14, 2018. Stephen Hawking has died.
Ladies and gentlemen, friends, and family--think, for a moment, of a memorial service.
I want to say a few words about how I personally felt about Stephen Hawking. He was undeniably a genius, a brave cosmologist, and a renowned theoretical physicist (aside: I almost majored in physics at William and Mary but after ten credit hours decided it was not in my or the world of physics’ best interest). He coped with ALS disease for years longer than the medical world expected, and, best of all, he had a sense of humor. That sense of humor, I think, made him accessible to us--we lesser mortals.
I read Hawking’s A Brief History of Time back in the late 1980s or early 1990s. I remember thinking this book was written for me. He wrote about the things we wonder about: how did the universe begin? Is the universe unending? Does time always move forward? Here is where I learned about quarks (which I don’t remember from Wm & Mary days)--the building blocks of the universe.
I read Hawking’s A Brief History of Time back in the late 1980s or early 1990s. I remember thinking this book was written for me. He wrote about the things we wonder about: how did the universe begin? Is the universe unending? Does time always move forward? Here is where I learned about quarks (which I don’t remember from Wm & Mary days)--the building blocks of the universe.
I liked that quarks came in what Hawking referred to as flavors: up, down, top, bottom, strange, and charm. Our world is made of up quarks, down quarks, and electrons. We can’t see them, but they are there.
If you read this book, you suddenly feel like you understand that which is generally beyond one’s understanding. That is, for “a brief time,” I feel smart. How kind of you, Stephen Hawking. How very kind. I am so glad you wrote that book.
From sporadically following his career, I saw that Hawking was a stubborn man. He fought his ALS for some 50 years after diagnosis, living in a wheelchair, communicating by a computer voice with an American accent. He once commented humorously on the fact that with all the scientific apparatus he used, he ended up with an American computer voice.
From sporadically following his career, I saw that Hawking was a stubborn man. He fought his ALS for some 50 years after diagnosis, living in a wheelchair, communicating by a computer voice with an American accent. He once commented humorously on the fact that with all the scientific apparatus he used, he ended up with an American computer voice.
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| Hawking experiencing weightlessness and out of his wheelchair. (Getty Images) |
Hawking was known for taking chances. Out of his wheelchair, he experienced weightlessness with astronauts.
In a few ways, a normal life: married twice, he fathered three children. He fought with religious leaders, including the Pope, over the existence and/or meaning of God and the origins of the universe. He debated with other noted scientists patiently explaining and re-explaining his theories until he was proved right. The universe creates itself by the laws of gravity was his main theme. It is the “big bang” theory.
In a few ways, a normal life: married twice, he fathered three children. He fought with religious leaders, including the Pope, over the existence and/or meaning of God and the origins of the universe. He debated with other noted scientists patiently explaining and re-explaining his theories until he was proved right. The universe creates itself by the laws of gravity was his main theme. It is the “big bang” theory.
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| Stephen Hawking & Jim Parsons (Sheldon Cooper) on “The Big Bang Theory” |
Hawking appreciated pop culture and appeared on a number of shows. He “drank a beer” with Homer Simpson and more appropriately, was in a Star Trek episode. The picture on the left is of my favorite half-hour comedy show actor, Jim Parsons, and my favorite scientist.
In one episode, the two questioned one another about theoretical physics issues and made snarky cracks about black holes. Not proper perhaps, but a funny joke on the Big Bang Theory still makes tabloids and YouTube is the following: Hawking asks: “How are Sheldon and black holes alike?” “Answer: they both suck.” The computer voice chuckles. No, not nice or polite at all, but somehow funny and it has stuck in my memory.
Thank you, Stephen Hawking, for being a humane yet stubborn genius, for combining brilliance with humor. For leaving us legacies in your writings that help us understand the world. For daring to push yourself to the limits of your physical abilities.
For those of you who have not read his works or followed him in popular science, here is a brief biographical sketch (excerpted from Wikipedia.) Stephen William Hawking was born January 8, 1942, in Oxford, England. He was educated at St. Albans School, Oxford (BA), and Cambridge (MA, Ph.D.). While at Cambridge, he was diagnosed with ALS disease and given two to three years to live. With numerous journal articles in his bibliography, he also wrote some 15 books that have translated into various languages including French, Vietnamese, Russian, Chinese, Bulgarian, and Korean. Married twice, Hawking is survived by three children. He and his daughter Lucy collaborated on a series of five children’s books (for ages 6-12) starring George and Annie, future cosmonauts traveling through space.
Thank you, Stephen Hawking, for being a humane yet stubborn genius, for combining brilliance with humor. For leaving us legacies in your writings that help us understand the world. For daring to push yourself to the limits of your physical abilities.
For those of you who have not read his works or followed him in popular science, here is a brief biographical sketch (excerpted from Wikipedia.) Stephen William Hawking was born January 8, 1942, in Oxford, England. He was educated at St. Albans School, Oxford (BA), and Cambridge (MA, Ph.D.). While at Cambridge, he was diagnosed with ALS disease and given two to three years to live. With numerous journal articles in his bibliography, he also wrote some 15 books that have translated into various languages including French, Vietnamese, Russian, Chinese, Bulgarian, and Korean. Married twice, Hawking is survived by three children. He and his daughter Lucy collaborated on a series of five children’s books (for ages 6-12) starring George and Annie, future cosmonauts traveling through space.
Along with some 15 British and international science awards Hawking received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barak Obama in 2009.
Neil deGrasse Tyson, America’s popular astrophysicist and head of the Hayden Planetarium, interviewed Hawking for his podcast “Star Talk” which was on air just a couple of weeks ago. It can be found at www.inverse.com/article/42302
Worth a listen!
RIP, farewell, and thank you for all you have taught me.
Worth a listen!
RIP, farewell, and thank you for all you have taught me.
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