14/03/2018

British scientist Stephen Hawking dies at age 76.

Credit: Sir Cam/Cambridge University

"I've lived with the prospect of an early death for 49 years. I'm not afraid of dying, but I'm not in a hurry to die either."

Wednesday (14) dawned sadder. British researcher and physicist Stephen William Hawking died at the age of 76. The announcement was made by the family, who did not disclose the cause of death.

One of the world's most renowned scientists, Hawking was an example of determination for resisting Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) for so many years and remaining intellectually productive despite the disease's aftereffects.

Of those coincidences that only the Universe can explain, Hawking was born on January 8, 1942, in Oxford (England), exactly 300 years after the death of Galileo Galilei, the Italian physicist and astronomer. The coincidences don't stop there. The British scientist died on the same day and month that another genius of physics was born, the German Albert Einstein (March 14, 1879).

Marcelo Viana, director-general of IMPA, lamented the physicist's passing. "Stephen Hawking's scientific and human journey is an extraordinary source of inspiration and motivation for all who aspire to understand the universe around us."

"People who brag about their IQ are losers."

Hawking wanted to study mathematics, but since the course wasn't available at University College, Oxford, he chose physics, graduating in 1962. Four years later, he obtained his doctorate from Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he was able to conduct research in the field of cosmology.

The physicist taught Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, where for 30 years (1979-2009) he worked as an emeritus Lucasian Professor – a position also held by Isaac Newton, the English astronomer and scientist renowned for his pioneering description of the law of gravity in the 17th century. Hawking also headed the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at Cambridge.

In 2009, he retired as a professor and went on to work as Director of Research in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, also at Cambridge, in addition to founding the institution's Centre for Theoretical Cosmology (CTC). He remained scientifically active until the end of his life.

A specialist in theoretical cosmology and quantum gravity, Hawking wrote 14 books, including the bestsellers "The Universe in a Nutshell" and "A Brief History of Time." In 2014, his life was portrayed in the biopic "The Theory of Everything," directed by James March. British actor Eddie Redmayne, who played the scientist, won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

"My expectations were reduced to zero when I was 21. Everything else has been a gift."

Life with HER

At age 21, Hawking was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a rare, incurable degenerative disease that paralyzes the body's muscles without affecting brain function. He survived the disease for decades, continuing his career even when he could only move one finger and his eyes.

Neither the wheelchair nor the increasing difficulty in communicating prevented him from continuing his research. He always found ways to make himself heard. Hawking used an electronic synthesizer to speak, and his robotic voice eventually became his trademark.

A prominent science communicator, Hawking distinguished himself as a researcher for his discoveries about black holes and space-time singularities.

"Remember to look at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to find meaning in what you see and ask yourself what makes the universe exist. Be curious."

During his 76 years of life, he accumulated important awards, such as the Eddington Medal (1975), the Hughes Medal (1976), and the Albert Einstein Medal (1979), the Order of Commander of the British Empire (1982), the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society (1985), the title of "Companion of Honour" from Queen Elizabeth II (1989), the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2009), and the Fundamental Physics Prize (2012).