Stephen Hawking
Early Life and Education
Stephen William Hawking was born in Oxford, England, on January 8, 1942. His parents, Frank and Isobel Hawking, were both educated at the University of Oxford, where Frank studied medicine and Isobel studied philosophy, politics, and economics. The family moved to St Albans, Hertfordshire, in 1950, where Stephen attended St Albans School.
Hawking showed an early interest in science and mathematics. At the age of 17, he won a scholarship to study physics at University College, Oxford. He graduated with a first-class honours degree in 1962 and then moved to the University of Cambridge to pursue his doctoral studies.
Career and Research
At Cambridge, Hawking worked on the theoretical implications of general relativity, under the supervision of Dennis Sciama. His early work focused on singularities, points in space-time where gravitational forces become infinite. In 1965, he published a theorem that proved the existence of singularities under certain conditions, a significant contribution to the field of theoretical physics.
Hawking's most famous work is his research on black holes. In 1974, he proposed that black holes could emit particles, a phenomenon now known as Hawking radiation. This was a revolutionary idea, as it suggested that black holes could eventually evaporate and disappear, contradicting the prevailing view that nothing could escape from a black hole.
In the late 1970s, Hawking turned his attention to the theory of cosmology, particularly the Big Bang theory. He proposed that the universe began as a singularity, similar to the ones he had studied in black holes. This led him to develop the concept of the 'no-boundary proposal', which suggests that the universe has no boundaries in space or time.
Hawking's research has had a profound impact on the fields of theoretical physics and cosmology, and he is widely regarded as one of the most brilliant scientists of his generation.
Personal Life and Health
In 1963, at the age of 21, Hawking was diagnosed with a rare form of motor neurone disease, also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He was given a prognosis of two years, but he defied medical expectations and lived for more than 50 years with the condition.
Despite his illness, Hawking continued to work and travel extensively. He used a wheelchair and communicated through a computer-based system, which he operated with his cheek muscle.
Hawking was married twice and had three children. His first marriage to Jane Wilde lasted from 1965 to 1995, and his second marriage to Elaine Mason lasted from 1995 to 2006.
Legacy
Stephen Hawking died on March 14, 2018, but his contributions to science continue to be celebrated. His work on black holes and the Big Bang has shaped our understanding of the universe, and his popular science books, such as 'A Brief History of Time', have brought complex scientific concepts to a wider audience.
Hawking's life and work have been the subject of numerous films and documentaries, including 'The Theory of Everything', which won an Academy Award for its portrayal of his life.