On January 8, 1942, exactly 300 years after the death of Galileo Galilei, born in the silent college town of Oxford, England, he’s known as the Galileo of the 21st century. He’s Stephen William Hawking. He was a person who not only accepted the challenges of life but also coped with them with his determination. He is still an inspiration for the new generation, not only for what he did in the field of science but also for the way he lived his life and through all the determination, wit, and resilience that he carried. He was born into a family of brilliant minds. With his father, Frank Hawking, being a medical researcher, his mother, Isobel, was the first woman to attend Oxford University. His family was not so rich in terms of money, but they were rich in knowledge, with lots of books in their home, and the family discussions were always filled with the curiosity of life and questions about the universe. Stephen Hawking was not so good in his academics, but he was always fascinated by knowing how things work, and due to his fascinating nature, he was named “Einstein” by his school teachers.
When Life Became Uncertain For Him:
At the age of 20 years, he earned a degree in physics from Oxford and then moved to Cambridge University for his further education in the field of cosmology. But things changed when life took a critical turn in this phase. At the age of 21, he started to notice some abnormalities in his body. He was facing difficulties with coordination, and he also experienced frequent falls randomly. Soon after, he was diagnosed with a motor neuron disease, ALS, i.e, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. His diagnosis was a lot to handle, but the situation became more complicated when doctors told him that he has a life of only two years to live. With life taking such an unusual turn, Hawking fell into a state of depression, and thoughts like “why am I studying the universe if my life is not long enough to explore it” kept striking him. But things again got changed after the death of one of his fellow patients at the hospital. That event ignited something inside Hawking. Stephen decided not to waste the life that he had, and with the help of his family and his girlfriend, he returned to his work with a new spirit.
Remarkable Work Despite All Challenges:
With the progression of the disease, Hawking eventually lost his ability to walk, write, and even speak. But his mind never changed. Initially, with the weakening of his body, his mind started to expand. He’s known to use his mind as a spaceship and to wander in thoughts of time travel, black hole, wormhole, and the origin of time. Some of his remarkable discoveries are as follows:-
- The singularity theorem: A work done with Roger Penrose. Supporting the big bang theory, he suggested that the universe has an origin, i.e., a point of starting with infinite density or energy, which means a definite beginning.
- Hawking Radiation: In 1947, he suggested a revolutionary theory that black holes are not entirely black and they release some faint radiation that can disappear or evaporate, and these radiations are known as Hawking radiation.
- The no boundary proposal: Hawking proposed a radical idea about the universe that it is finite, but it has no edge. That means our universe has no boundary in time and space. This idea was proposed by Hawking along with physicist James Hartle.
Most Powerful Silent Voice:
In 1985, Hawking underwent a tracheotomy surgery and lost his natural voice forever. But later, with the advancements in technology, he used an American speech synthesiser to communicate through a computer attached to his cheek muscle. The voice was robotic, but still, that voice became highly recognisable in the whole world. It was not only his new voice, but it was a voice of science, rebellion, and survival. He was not just a scientist but a phenomenon in pop culture. He used to have an unusual sense of humour about his fame and his physical condition. He appeared in some shows like The Simpsons, Star Trek, and The Big Bang Theory as well. He not only marked his words through shows but in the year of 1988, he published his book “A Brief History of Time,” which was a best seller at that time. The book was based on some profound questions about the existence of god, the definition of time, and the origin of the universe. His book was sold with over 25 million copies worldwide and remained for a record-breaking 237 weeks it was on the Sunday Times Best sellers list.
A Never-Ending Legacy:
Stephen Hawking’s legacy isn't just in the blackboards filled with equations or the radiation named after him. It lives in the belief that the power of the mind can overcome the failures of the body. Those limitations are not full stops but invitations to think differently. That wonder, curiosity, and courage are the real forces of the universe. Stephen Hawking taught us that the universe is not just something out there, but it is also within. His life was proof that the boundaries of possibility are not set by the laws of nature, but by the limits we impose on ourselves. In a body that became still, his mind kept moving faster than light. His story is not just about science. It’s about being human.
On March 14, 2018, Hawking left this world peacefully at the age of 76 in Cambridge, England. He fought and won over the doctor’s predictions of his short life for about 5 decades. His ashes were interred at Westminster Abbey between two other legends of science, Issac Newton and Charles Darwin. He was an ideal example of living life to the fullest without considering the existence of difficulties. He’s an inspiration for the new generation. He left us with many quotes and theories, and one of them is mentioned below.
“Look up at the stars and not down at your feet.”