If Stephen Hawking didn't have the disease that he had....

In summary, Stephen Hawking would have been a brilliant physicist if he hadn't had a disease that left him physically handicapped.
  • #1
Jupiter60
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How do you think Stephen Hawking would have been if he didn't have the disease that he had and wasn't physically handicapped?
 
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  • #2
I think he would have spent his life chasing girls. I figure that speculation is just as good as any other.
 
  • #3
Life is impossible to predict. Maybe he would have died in a bike accident 50 years ago and not had accomplished as much as he had.
 
  • #4
I once heard him say: "Good, I haven't become a surgeon. I would be needless today, but I can still do physics."
 
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  • #5
He would be out on the streets hawking his theories.

EDIT, a serious sidenote: I liked the movie, The Theory of Everything, which is about his life.
 
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  • #7
I have tied to get a grip on some of the stuff he did this week and I stumbled on this BBC Horizon prog from 2005 called the Hawking paradox, you can get it on you tube.
Besides the paradox itself the programme describes how he worked by visualizing shapes patterns space time in 4 dimensions then dictating the ideas and putting the maths together with the help of research students. I am not sure from period he did this, perhaps from the late 70s?

If he had been able bodied he would not have had to do all this in head but then again, he may not have had some of the insights he had.

Besides the physics (which is a bit out there) its a great little feature on him, Krauss Kip Thorne and Susskind are all on there too. Worth a go.
 
  • #8
Jupiter60 said:
if he didn't have the disease that he had and wasn't physically handicapped?

The above is for you
 
  • #9
DennisN said:
He would be out on the streets hawking his theories.

EDIT, a serious sidenote: I liked the movie, The Theory of Everything, which is about his life.

Greg Bernhardt said:
I still need to see this!

It was on TV last nite, here in Australia ... good movie
then on another channel was a doco about his life as told mainly by himself

Dave
 
  • #10
Just finished watching it and woah! Was not expecting it to be so emotionaly intense but also incredibly inspiring. I was on the verge of tears the entire movie!
 
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  • #11
Greg Bernhardt said:
Just finished watching it and woah! Was not expecting it to be so emotionaly intense but also incredibly inspiring. I was on the verge of tears the entire movie!
I was also surprised by this, it was a very emotional movie. And very good acting too, in my opinion.
 
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1. What disease did Stephen Hawking have?

Stephen Hawking had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

2. How did Stephen Hawking's disease affect his life and work?

Stephen Hawking's disease gradually caused him to lose control of his body and rendered him unable to speak. However, he continued to work and communicate through the use of a computerized voice and a wheelchair.

3. If Stephen Hawking didn't have ALS, would he still have become a famous scientist?

It is impossible to say for certain, but it is likely that Stephen Hawking's intelligence, determination, and passion for science would have led him to make significant contributions to the field regardless of his disease.

4. What were some of Stephen Hawking's major achievements despite his disease?

Despite his limitations, Stephen Hawking made groundbreaking discoveries in the fields of cosmology and quantum mechanics, including his theory of black hole radiation and his work on the origin of the universe. He also wrote several best-selling books, including "A Brief History of Time."

5. How did Stephen Hawking inspire others with his perseverance and determination?

Stephen Hawking's unwavering dedication to his work and his refusal to let his disease hold him back served as an inspiration to many people around the world. He showed that with determination and determination, anything is possible, even in the face of significant challenges.

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