Here's a small tribute to our legendary Stephen Hawking...
- Stephen Hawking was born January 8, 1942 on the 300th anniversary of Galileo's death.
- It's tough to believe but the man who changed our views about black hole and the universe at large, did not get very good marks in school. In fact, he couldn't even properly read until he was 8 years old.
- Despite his poor grades, Hawking was nicknamed 'Einstein' by his classmates after he built a computer with his friends as a teenager. He also had an almost unbelievable understanding about space and time, which shocked everyone.
- He once said, "God may exist, but science can explain the universe without the need for a creator". This is not just a statement of an Atheist, but of an ardent Scientist!
- After taking his zero gravity flight in Zero Gravity Corp, he told, "I have already completed a zero gravity flight which allowed me to float weightless, but my ultimate ambition is to fly into space."
- "People who boast about their IQ are losers.", this was his reply to a question if he believed he was the most intelligent person in the world!
- His book 'A Brief History of Time' was the bestseller of its time.
- His view on disability, "If you are disabled, it is probably not your fault, but it is no good blaming the world or expecting it to take pity on you. One has to have a positive attitude and must make the best of the situation that one finds oneself in; if one is physically disabled, one cannot afford to be psychologically disabled as well. In my opinion, one should concentrate on activities in which one's physical disability will not present a serious handicap. I am afraid that Olympic Games for the disabled do not appeal to me, but it is easy for me to say that because I never liked athletics anyway."
- He commented on the Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne,who portrayed him in the movie 'The Theory of Everything', stating that, "Unfortunately, Eddie did not inherit my good looks."
- "Noble without a Nobel!" Despite his groundbreaking discoveries, he was never nominated for a Nobel Prize.
- Hawking, diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 1963, lived with it for more than 50 years - a remarkably long time for an ALS sufferer.
- ALS is short for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, according to the ALS Association. Over time, those with the disease, which affects nerves and muscle use, can lose the ability to move and communicate. ALS is the most common motor neuron disease, according to National Institutes of Health. Till date, there is no cure for ALS.
- The Ice Bucket Challenge, sometimes called the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, is an activity involving the dumping of a bucket of ice and water over a person's head, either by another person or self-administered, to promote awareness of ALS and encourage donations to research.
- His advice to his children,"One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don't throw it away."
- From Star Trek to the Big Bang Theory, The Simpsons to Monty Python, Stephen Hawking crops up all over the universe.Professor Hawking, known for being a theoretical physicist, appeared in many
works of popular culture.
- Finally, the star was sucked away from the earth by a deadly black hole on March 14th, 2018. Interestingly, the anniversary of Albert Einstein's birth!
Thanks to Vint Cerf and Robert E.Kahn for inventing the Internet, which helped me to create this post! XD
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