Remembering Stephen Hawking: Here’s a List of His Biggest Contributions to Science

Stephen Hawking, the world-famous physicist, has died at the age of 76. His family announced his death, saying that he passed away at his home in Cambridge this morning.

He was well known for his theories on black holes, relativity and for the several books he wrote.

ALS Diagnosis and Loss of Speech

Hawking was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the young age of 21 and the doctors said he’d only live a few more years.

However, the disease progressed slowly, allowing him to live for more than 50 years after his diagnosis.

He was physically paralyzed and lost his ability to speak in 1985. He communicated through a speech synthesizer, which he controlled by twitching his cheek.

His disability, coupled with his work in the fields of physics and cosmology, earned him acclaim from people all over the world.

Top 5 Achievements by Stephen Hawking

Born on 8th January 1942, the brilliant British scientist achieved a lot during his lifetime.

His research work on the black holes and Hawking radiation transformed the way modern science describes the universe.

Some of his top life achievements include:

Doctors gave him 3 years to live after he was diagnosed with ALS in 1963. He lived on for 55 years.
He worked with Roger Penrose to show that the Theory of Relativity implies that the universe started with a big bang and will end in black holes (1970).
Hawkings ultimately proved that black holes emit Hawking Radiation or heat and start losing mass after their formation (1974).
He also discovered that black holes aren’t exactly black and appear to be glowing like “hot bodies”
Stephen published A Brief History of Time in 1988, which sold more than 10 million copies and became a bestseller.

Other Achievements

Hawking also won several awards for his discoveries and contributions to physics and cosmology including:

Presidential Medal of Freedom (2009)
Fundamental Physics Prize (2012)
Copley Medal (2006)
Wolf Prize in Physics (1988)
Albert Einstien Award (1978)

Some of his famous books and publications include:

A Brief History of Time (best seller)
Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays,
The Universe in a Nutshell
The Grand Design
My Brief History (autobiography)

Humor and Controversy

Interestingly, the scientist was also known for his great sense of humor. At one point he asked “What do Sheldon Cooper and a black hole have in common?” referring to one of the main characters in TV series ‘The Big Bang Theory’. After a brief pause, he replied: “They both suck”.

Hawking also appeared in popular movies and TV series like Star Trek: The Next Generation to The Simpsons. A few of you may know that Hawking has been featured in everything from ‘The Simpsons’ to and ‘The Big Bang Theory’.

He was also featured in the Oscar-winning film “Theory of Everything” based on his university life.

He also held controversial views about religion. In his book “The Grand Design” he said that God was not needed for beginning the universe. He added,

I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken-down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.

His children, Lucy, Tim and Robert Hawking said in their statement,

He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years. His courage and persistence with his brilliance and humor inspired people across the world. He once said ‘It would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love.’ We will miss him forever.