On March 14, 2018, Stephen Hawking passed away, one of the most relevant scientists in our recent history, probably the last scientist alive until then who could measure up to geniuses of the stature of Albert Einstein. The cosmologist made very important theoretical contributions on black holes, such as Hawking radiation; he hypothesized that time had its origin in the Big Bang and came close to proposing, for the first time before anyone else, a ‘theory of everything’, trying to unify Relativity and Quantum.
His great work forever changed our understanding of the physics of the universe. On the anniversary of his death, we review ten curiosities about his life.
1. He was born 300 years after the death of Galileo
Specifically, on January 8, 1942 in Oxford, England. He wanted to study mathematics, but they were not available at University College, so he ended up studying physics.
2. He was diagnosed with ALS at age 22
The diagnosis of his illness came in 1963, when he slipped and fell during a skating session. When presenting the first mobility problems, the doctors diagnosed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease that would mark the rest of his life.
3. Your thesis is now in the public domain
It is titled Properties of Expanding Universes , which he presented at Trinity College at age 24. Finally in October 2017 (curiously, shortly before his death) it was made public in a 119-page document that now anyone can consult.
4. He lost his voice from a tracheostomy
In 1985, he suffered from pneumonia that was complicated by his illness, for which he had to undergo a tracheostomy (perforation of the windpipe in order to pass air into the respiratory passages). After the operation, Professor Hawking lost his voice permanently. This did not prevent him from continuing his extensive work, however. Since 1997, its communication system, ‘ the computer ‘, was based on a computer provided by Intel Corporation.
5. He tried to work out the ‘theory of everything’
Among his contributions, the origin of time in the Big Bang stands out: in 1970, together with Roger Penrose, he demonstrated that Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity implied that space and time would have a beginning at the Big Bang, which It led them to think that it was necessary to unify the Theory of Relativity with Quantum; that is, to find a ‘theory of everything’.
The closest thing to the theory of everything that Hawking achieved was Theory M, which states that there are 11 dimensions of space-time, and that would solve the weak points of string theory. If you want to know more details about Hawking’s M Theory, keep reading the following article:
6. He never received a Nobel
Many people are surprised that one of the most important scientists in recent history does not have a Nobel Prize. The reason for this is that Hawking’s studies belong to theoretical disciplines , so they could not be observable or testable, as happened with his 1975 Hawking radiation theory, according to which black holes were not completely black, but They emit photons, neutrinos, and massive particles.
7. He held a party for time travelers … no one attended
On June 28, 2009 at 12:00, in an elegant hall at Cambridge University, Professor Stephen Hawking waited with drinks, balloons and a banner reading ‘ Welcome, time travelers ‘. , time travelers’). Hawking sent out the invitations after the party was over. If time travel was possible, those travelers should have been able to make the appointment; but nobody showed up.
In reality, Hawking had already predicted that time travel was not possible. That party was an original joke, which was precisely intended to show that no one would come.
8. He passed away on the same day as Albert Einstein’s birth, and on World Mathematics Day
Chance is opportune at times. It turns out that not only was Hawking born exactly 300 years after Galileo’s death, but also the date of his death coincided with that of the birth of Albert Einstein, another of the great scientists of recent history, and perhaps the the only one that could rival its relevance. March 14, moreover, is World Mathematics and World Pi Number Day.
9. He was a television star
Stephen Hawking was also a popularizer, and not only wrote several books, but also participated in several television programs to help spread science, such as the documentary series Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking . He also made his stellar appearance in cult series, such as Star Trek , The Simpsons , or The Big Bang Theory.
10. He died without fulfilling his dream of traveling to space
Professor Hawking’s great dream was to travel into space. In fact, in his last years of life, he made several warnings to humanity, about the need to leave planet Earth to survive as a species. He didn’t go into space, but he did manage to fly in zero gravity at the age of 65, as shown in the image above.
