This past week we saw the sad passing of Stephen Hawking, one of the greatest minds of human history.
For those that do not know him, Stephen Hawking was someone who not only pushed the boundaries
for when it came to battling a debilitating
disease that he lived with for more than fifty-five
years, but someone who also pushed the boundaries in the scientific world.
In this video we are going to take a trip
through time and take look at how and why
Mr Hawking’s life was such a mix of positivities
and negativities, that were all wrapped up
into one bigger thing, establishing his legacy as an inspiring and motivating individual,
and one that had him consistently learning, teaching, and always making the best of every situation
Born in the UK in 1942, Hawking’s schooling
life started in London, moved to Hertfordshire,
to Oxford for his undergraduate, and finally
to Cambridge where he completed his PhD and
went on to work as a physicist.
Hawking was accepted into Oxford with a scholarship
at the age of 17, and without mathematics
being offered at the time, aka his ideal path,
he decided instead to pursue physics and chemistry.
Hawking was known to have found the undergraduate
work as quote, “ridiculously easy”, and
believes that he only put in an hour or so
per day for study, totaling in at around 1000
hours by the end of the three years.
Despite this, Hawking graduated with a first
class honours before moving to Cambridge University
to complete his PhD.
It was at this point in his life that he was
diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,
or ALS, a subtype of motor neuron disease.
Motor neuron disease, or MND, is a disease
that wreaks havoc upon the body.
It attacks the somatic nervous system, i.e.
the voluntary system, meaning, the muscles
weaken and atrophy over time as a result of
not being used.
While the diseases rate of progression and severity can vary from individual to individual,
some of the early symptoms that can be seen include severe cramps and muscle twitches,
difficulty performing simple tasks like walking and holding objects, slurred speech and difficulty swallowing.
As the disease progresses, further symptoms
can arise including respiratory difficulties,
stiff joints and muscles, weight loss, insomnia,
and cognitive decline in certain cases.
While the cause of MND is unknown in more
than 90% of cases, roughly 5-10% of them are
known to be via individuals inheriting the
gene.
Hawking was diagnosed with ALS at the young
age of 21 and was given a life expectancy
by his doctors of only two to three years.
And because of this, he came across a serious
crossroad in his life.
At the time of Hawking’s diagnosis, he was
considered to be incredibly intelligent.
In fact, despite him believing personally
that he was only half as smart as other members
in his class, his nickname was Einstein.
But with only a few years predicted for him
in his future, what was the point in anything?
His disease was progressing rapidly, but his
doctors had told him to go back to Cambridge
and complete his PhD.
But What was the point in studying?
This situation made Hawking depressed and
lost, thinking to himself What if he was dead
before he even finished his PhD?
However, with his body deteriorating, he did
stumble across something that gave him a boost
to life: love.
Hawking fell in love with a lady by the name of Jane Wild just before being diagnosed in 1963.
This gave him a new outlook on life.
And with the realisation that he wanted to
marry her, he would therefore have to find
a job.
But if he wanted to find a job, he would therefore
have to finish his PhD.
So, back to school he went.
Unfortunately, however, throughout the next
decade, he slowly lost more and more physical
abilities.
He lost the ability to write, his speech deteriorated
substantially, which then lead him to eventually
making use of a speech generating device,
whereby he would select letters, words, and
phrases by a handheld device.
The loss of his hand capabilities came in
the early 2000s, which then forced him to
make use of his cheek muscles on the device.
Meaning, he would go from around 15 words
per minute to just one per minute, resulting
in him taking 30-odd minutes just to construct
a couple of sentences.
Pushing through well past the initial life
expectancy that he was given way back in 1963,
Hawking’s disease took its toll on not only
his body, but the people around him, too.
Despite this, one thing that he, his colleagues,
and his carers believed of him was that the
loss of his physical capabilities opened up
doors in his mind.
They believed that his disabilities forced
him to think of the universe differently and
push his thoughts in directions most other
people could not dream to have.
After realising that the key to understanding
the start of the universe was black holes
and the notion of a singularity that lead
to a big bang, Hawking published various scientific
papers that many of us would have trouble
comprehending completely.
But coming up with one of the best theories
for the beginning of the universe was only
the start of Hawking’s forever escalating
career.
He wrote highly successful books that relayed
complicated mathematics and science into words
for the general public.
He won award after award, had three children,
appeared on talk shows, television programs,
and overall became a public icon in so many people's lives.
'Your theory of a donut-shaped universe is intriguing, Homer. I may have to steal it.'
'Wow, I can't believe somebody I have never heard of is hanging out with a guy like me.'
'All right, it's closing time, who's paying the tab?'
- 'I am.'
- 'I didn't say that.'
- 'Yes I did.'
'D'oh.'
Stephen Hawking will not just be remembered
for his knowledge or his consistent push within
the scientific community, but also because
of his motivation to constantly learn and
grow.
To spread information to the world as best
he could.
He will be remembered for his fighting spirit.
His humor.
His research that paved the way and still
does for many of the up and coming scientists
out there.
At the time of his death on the morning of
Wednesday the 14th of March, it was said that
Hawking passed away peacefully.
And, there's no denying that his name will live on in the history books for years to come.
He will be remembered by many generations for what he achieved.
And how he showed us all that no matter what cards you were dealt,
that you can always make the best out of any situation.
