Stephen Hawking dies at age 76

[Sdiver]

He just went home ...

Professor,
Thank you for opening our eyes and enriching our lives and our world.

Stephen Hawking dies aged 76

World renowned physicist Stephen Hawking has died at the age of 76.

He died peacefully at his home in Cambridge in the early hours of Wednesday, his family said.

The Briton was known for his work with black holes and relativity, and wrote several popular science books including A Brief History of Time.

At the age of 22 Prof Hawking was given only a few years to live after being diagnosed with a rare form of motor neurone disease.
◾Obituary: Stephen Hawking

The illness left him in a wheelchair and largely unable to speak except through a voice synthesiser.

In a statement his children, Lucy, Robert and Tim, said: "We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today.

"He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years."

They praised his "courage and persistence" and said his "brilliance and humour" 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."

Prof Hawking was the first to set out a theory of cosmology as a union of relativity and quantum mechanics.

He also discovered that black holes leak energy and fade to nothing - a phenomenon that would later become known as Hawking radiation.

Through his work with mathematician Sir Roger Penrose he demonstrated that Einstein's General Theory of Relativity implies space and time would have a beginning in the Big Bang and an end in black holes.

The scientist gained popularity outside the academic world and appeared in several TV shows including The Simpsons, Red Dwarf and The Big Bang Theory.

He was portrayed in both TV and film - recently by Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything, which charted his rise to fame and relationship with his first wife, Jane.


Factfile: Stephen Hawking
◾Born 8 January 1942 in Oxford, England
◾Earned place at Oxford University to read natural science in 1959, before studying for his PhD at Cambridge
◾By 1963, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and given two years to live
◾Outlined his theory that black holes emit "Hawking radiation" in 1974
◾Published his book A Brief History of Time in 1988, which has sold more than 10 million copies
◾His life story was the subject of the 2014 film The Theory of Everything, starring Eddie Redmayne


Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the web, was one of the first people to pay tribute to Prof Hawking.

"We have lost a colossal mind and a wonderful spirit. Rest in peace, Stephen Hawking," he said.

Apple's co-founder Steve Wozniak said: "Stephen Hawking's integrity and scientific dedication placed him above pure brilliance,"

Satya Nadella, Microsoft chief executive, said: "We lost a great one today. Stephen Hawking will be remembered for his incredible contributions to science - making complex theories and concepts more accessible to the masses.

"He'll also be remembered for his spirit and unbounded pursuit to gain a complete understanding of the universe, despite the obstacles he faced."

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-43396008

[Trapper John]

Thank you Professor Hawking!

You may not have intended to, but you enlightened us all with a glimpse of the Creator.

[JJ_BPK]

I have followed Hawking for 30+ yrs. In the mid-90t's I worked with several IBM scientist and we were kinda like a geek fan club. I was in awl of his early theoretical physics research, but he changed. About 15 yrs ago he (or his companion) started getting off track on a butter-cup socialist's view of the universe. He abandoned hard science and embraced a John Lenon style poet's view.

RIP Stephen Hawkings
You will be missed

[Trapper John]

About 15 yrs ago he (or his companion) started getting off track on a butter-cup sociolist's view of the universe. He abandoned hard science and embraced a John Lenon style poet's view.

I saw the same thing JJ! But, that may be because when you gain the level of understanding and insight he had it's pretty hard to not wax poetic. Just doesn't provide pragmatic solutions to the problems of the here and now!

[PSM]

Originally Posted by JJ_BPK

About 15 yrs ago he (or his companion) started getting off track on a butter-cup sciolist's view of the universe. He abandoned hard science...

Yep. I think he became a living, ventilator-breathing, puppet to his handlers. Anyone could have been behind that computer voice. Had to be a tough life, though.

Rest in Peace, Professor Hawking.

[Joker]

I thought he was good until he started believing his own press. He should have stayed humble.

[Penn]

Strangely enough, he died on Albert Einstein birthday: March 14, 1879

[Joker]

Originally Posted by Penn

Strangely enough, he died on Albert Einstein birthday: March 14, 1879

What he died in 1879 and we just learned about it? He discovered time travel!

[P36]

Originally Posted by Trapper John

Thank you Professor Hawking!

You may not have intended to, but you enlightened us all with a glimpse of the Creator.

Wasn't he an atheist?

[Box]

Originally Posted by P36

Wasn't he an atheist?

Yes

The idea of a theoretical higher power did not balance with his belief in science. A man who practiced theoretical science but declared that philosophy was a dead art.

However, thanks to his theoretical faith in the multiverse, he believed that there might be parallel universes and dimensions...
Maybe one where a guy named Steven Hawking played 3d base and batted in the cleanup spot for the 17-time world champion San Diego Padres. The same universe where Pete Rose was elected into the Physics Hall of Fame

He also was clear in his belief that Donald Trump is a demagog that has set the planet on an irreversible path towards destruction by pulling out of the Paris Climate Accords.
...now we all need to colonize Mars within the next hundred years because that's all the survivable time we have left on the planet. (unless of course, runaway AI kills us first)

The poor man lived a miserable and unbearable life - literally held captive in his own body for almost 50 years - a great mind suffering a tragic and tortured existence but he didn't do any more to bring about my enlightenment than Hugh Heffner did to put an end to the objectification of women.

[Divemaster]

He is now a singularity.

While the science geeks point out that he died on Pi day, or Einstein's birthday (he was born on the day Galileo Galilei died), he shares another anniversary that those noting his political leanings may have missed. He and Karl Marx died on the same day, 135 years apart.

[Team Sergeant]

Originally Posted by Penn

Strangely enough, he died on Albert Einstein birthday: March 14, 1879

I'm going to be guessing here, but I think everyone dies on someone's birthday.......

Only strange if you also believe in fairies too.



Goodbye Mr. Hawking, you will be missed.

[Box]

Steph Curry, Sasha Grey, Billy Crystal, Michael Caine, and Quincy Jones were all born on the 14th of March.
...just one day short of the Ides of March.


Pretty Strange things going on here.

[Team Sergeant]

Anti-semetic……. Anti-fairy, anti-exorcism, anti-pedophile priests, spare me.

Save your fairies and rituals for the “religious” forums.

To be “labeled” an “atheist” or “unbeliever” is a choice not to believe in your “religious” fairies, myths and rituals. Remember only the “true believers” can call someone an atheist. Roll that around on your tongue for a few hours.

So what do you call someone that doesn’t believe in your vampires, dragons, fairies, demons, angels, Hindu Rat god, etc etc etc an atheist?

See, someday you’ll figure it all out, after you’ve donated tens of thousands to whichever moronic religion/demons/fairies/angels/rat god etc you “believe” in.

And the pope just laughs, living large in his billion-dollar mansion on his trillion-dollar property. And if you think for one second that sending “missionaries” (salesmen) to foreign countries are on missions for god…….. they’re on a mission for new “followers” (more money) and new “believers” mean more money for whatever church/mosque/pope/iman/rabi etc you belong to.

And no science and “myths” are not compatible, not in the least. When you do the math, it doesn’t add up.

Being “religious” to me, is like being gay, I don’t care what you believe in or who you have sex with, just don’t put it in front of me. I tolerate a lot, but I’ve none left for stupid. You want to talk “religion” there are forums for that where you can revel in it with those that believe in the same tooth-fairies you do.

Now run along and go to Sunday school and pay homage to your fairies, but remember, every Thursday is actually “Thor’sday”. Thank god it’s almost Friday -- Freya's day. You see, my gods have days of the week named after them and every “religion” in the world uses them.


And yeah, I’m well beyond atheist.

[theWolf]

I remember reading, "A Brief History of Time" when I was 16 years old...shit blew my mind.