Stephen Hawking has Died - March 14th, 2018

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Stephen Hawking and Carl Sagan were the two people who got me to pursue physics as a career. RIP Professor Hawking.
 
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robphy said:
It’s probably a coincidence that March 14 is Einstein’s birthday.
I think both of them would agree with that.
:cry:
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RIP PROFESSOR HAWKING ! We all going to miss you! :(
 
:cry: RIP Stephen Hawking. A true genius and inspiration :bow:.
 
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Amrator said:
Stephen Hawking and Carl Sagan were the two people who got me to pursue physics as a career. RIP Professor Hawking.
I believe the same is true for many many (relatively young) people who are currently in scientific careers. My academic path really started when my grandmother gave me one of Hawking's books (not A brief history of time, but I cannot for the life of me remember which it was now) for Christmas. After reading it I was completely hooked. I must have been 14 or so.
 
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:cry:

This one hit me pretty deep. RIP.
 
eloheim said:
:cry:

This one hit me pretty deep. RIP.
Me too. Just recently a very influential bollywood actress also passed away, and my family was depressed. I feel just as depressed right now.

To the head honchos (@Greg Bernhardt ): Can we do something to memorialize his death? Like something on the PF logo, just for a week or so.
 
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I think we should also remember how amazing it was that we got to keep him for so long given his illness manifesting itself so early. He was diagnosed in the early 60s, meaning that he lived with ALS for the larger part of his life.

Edit: I also came to think that even if his direct contributions to science are important and numerous. His biggest contribution is probably that of a science educator and inspirer. Imagine how much science is currently being done by people who, like me, were inspired to enter academia after reading his books. I am surely not the only one.
 
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Orodruin said:
I think we should also remember how amazing it was that we got to keep him for so long given his illness manifesting itself so early. He was diagnosed in the early 60s, meaning that he lived with ALS for the larger part of his life.
It truly is amazing. During the time he was diagnosed, he was given two to three years to live. It is a miracle that he was able to fight through until now for so many years. The world of physics might have been wholly different if he had not worked on the theory of everything as much as he did.
 
A great mind passes away. He shall always leave among us in his theories and books. Not only that, he showed the world what resilience and mental strength can do.

Sadly, no one is immortal, and something that has a beginning, must also have an ending. May his soul rest in peace.
 
"However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don't just give up." -- at an Oxford University Union speech in 2016.
Thanks for sharing your insights. RIP Sir.
 
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Perhaps now he knows more ...
 
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Rest In Peace. We were lucky live at the same time with him.
 
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Born on Galileo’s death and died on Einstein’s birth. Probably a coincidence... either way, I, like so many others, count him as a childhood hero. Man, you know this sort of thing is coming, being a lot younger, but you still aren’t prepared. He was a pillar in my life. What a wonderful man and a shinning example of how life should be lived.
 
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Love this photo of him smiling. Another great mind is lost. RIP.

stephen-hawking-640x426.png


Don't forget about our Insights quiz
https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/think-know-stephen-hawkings/
 

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While it is a wonder as well as to our species distinct advantage that Professor Hawking managed to live and be so profoundly productive for so long, and though his death always seemed more imminent than most for that reason, I am stricken by this sad news. I will be sad this entire day and some forward but tonight I will raise a glass at dinner and speak of his life and contributions. I can't help but wonder, especially after being reminded by some of the videos of conferences in this thread, now that both Carl and Stephen are gone, who will take their place? Are we still raising any Einsteins these days?

Incidentally thank you for the ancient recording of Carl, Stephen and Arthur. It is an amazing reminder how far we have recently come just marked by guessing the Universe's age as between 10 and 15 billion years, Hubble not having been launched yet, and that crusty old PC . Was it running GEM?
 
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