RIP Stephen Hawking

[Chaosphere]

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/mar/14/stephen-hawking-professor-dies-aged-76

This one hit me more than I thought it would. Before I decided to pursue Medicine I thought I would study Physics, in particular cosmology and theoretical physics. I developed a love for the science during my teenage years, and as a result read a few of Hawking's more accessible books, cover to cover.

It's an interest I have maintained despite the different direction of my studies and career. As a result, Hawking's name has often popped up in my downtime reading. I even managed to convince my girlfriend to pick up A Brief History of Time - well worth a read, by the way.

He was diagnosed at 21 with a type of ALS, or motor neurone disease, the exact diagnosis of which has repeatedly been called into question due to his incredible capacity to ignore all of the prognostic estimates given by physicians.

Making it to 76 years, he battled the disease far longer than anyone could have expected, and used his time to continue to contribute to both our understanding of our universe and to the perception of physics as a science within the mainstream.

RIP Professor Stephen Hawking.

[TeaLeaf]

We lost a great physicist.  Sad news indeed.

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

[Galatoni]

Yep. Fired the imagination of many. Sad indeed.

Sent from my Swift 2 using Tapatalk

[Jamoe]

Sad indeed, when you look at what he achieved and the challenges he faced doing it, really puts your own issues/excuses into perspective. An inspirational man.

[main]

Really sad news. But his achievements are endless. We are really going to miss him.

For those who haven't seen this, it is worth it.

[video=youtube;IL0HSV5lFFg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL0HSV5lFFg[/video]

[smilodon]

The word genius gets banded about far too freely, but very occasionally it's spot on.

He may have spent most of his life with his body locked in a wheelchair, but his mind......

I love the final lines of a Brief History of Time.

[FONT=&]"However, if we discover a complete theory, it should in time be understandable by everyone, not just by a few scientists, then we shall all, philosophers, scientists and just ordinary people, be able to take part in the discussion of the question of why it is that we and the universe exist. If we find the answer to that, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason â€" for then we should know the mind of God."[/FONT]

(My emphasis)