Things That You Need To Know About Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking Was A…

He was a brilliant British theoretical physicist, cosmologist, an author and the ultimate geek who overcame a debilitating disease to publish some of the wildly popular books that probed the mysteries of the universe.

He Was A Fighter

When he was 21, Hawking suffered from ALS, meaning amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is a neurodegenerative disease. It was commonly known as the Lou Gehrig's Disease. The person who suffers from this disease is believed to have a very short span of life, hence the doctors gave him a few years to live. Being a fighter, he survived until the age of 76!

His Health Condition Made Him Dependant

Though Hawking's health condition made him wheelchair-bound and paralyzed, he was able to move only a few fingers on one hand. It is reported that he was completely dependent on others or on technology for almost everything. Be it his bathing, dressing, eating or even his speech! Apparently, he used a speech synthesiser which allowed him to speak in a computerised voice with an American accent. No wonder, he has been an inspiration to the world!

His Discoveries

Prof Hawking was the first individual who set out a theory of cosmology as a union of relativity and quantum mechanics. Apart from this, he also discovered that black holes leak energy and fade to nothing. This was a phenomenon that later become known as "Hawking radiation".

His Contributions To The World

When he was diagnosed with the motor neurone disease in 1962, he wrote several influential books, including "A Brief History of Time." A layman would not have known what a black hole from a jack was if it was not discovered by him. His books were sold in plenty and that too more than 10 million copies!

His Message To The Depressed...

In one of his speeches, Hawking stated: "The message of this lecture is that black holes ain't as black as they are painted. They are not the eternal prisons they were once though...things can get out of a black hole both on the outside and possibly to another universe. So if you feel you are in a black hole, don't give up - there's a way out.

Check the video for more details on his speech.