TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – January 8, 1942 is the birthday Stephen Hawking, a genius physicist who devoted his life to uncovering the secrets of the universe. He was born in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England.
According to Space, Stephen Hawking is seen by many as the smartest person in the world. He studied physics at University College, Oxford, even though his father suggested taking a medical study program. After that, he continued his studies to Cambride to research cosmology.
In 1963, just before his 21st birthday, Hawking was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Doctors estimate if he can only last up to two years.
In 1965, Hawking married Jane Wilde. Although completing a doctorate may seem impossible, Hawking managed to obtain a PhD in 1966.
After graduating, in 1974, Hawking was inducted into the Royal Society, an organization of associations of scientists around the world. In 1979, he was awarded the Lucasian Chair of Mathematics at Cambride, one of the most prestigious degrees in academia.
During his career, Hawking studied the basic laws that govern the universe. In collaboration with cosmologist Roger Penrose, he demonstrated Albert Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity which showed that space and time began at the birth of the universe and ended with black holes.
By combining Einstein’s theory and quantum theory, Hawking stated that black holes are not completely dark, but also emit radiation. He predicted that after The Big Bang, black holes as small as protons were created and governed by general relativity and quantum mechanics.
In 2014, Hawking revised his theory and said that black holes do not really exist, at least in the way cosmologists have traditionally understood them. His theory eliminates the existence of a black hole boundary called the event horizon (event horizon).
Hawking proposes that there will be a clear horizon or apparent horizon which will change according to the quantum changes inside the black hole. However, this theory is still controversial.
In addition to working as a scientist, Hawking is a well-known author. Some of his books became best seller among others “A Brief History of Time”, “The Universe in a Nutshell”, “The Grand Design” and “On the Shoulders of Giants”.
Hawking has also appeared on several television shows, such as “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Big Bang Theory“. His life story was made into a film entitled “The Theory of Everything”Which was unveiled in 2014.
The film managed to get praise from Hawking and made him reflect on his own life. “Even though I am disabled, I have succeeded in my scientific work,” Hawking wrote on his Facebook account in November 2014.
Hawking did live longer than doctors thought. However, as the disease spread, Hawking became paralyzed and used a wheelchair.
In 1985, he had to undergo emergency tracheotomy surgery and lost his ability to speak. A computer program then helps him to communicate.
In 1991, Hawking divorced from Jane. He then remarried his nurse, Elaine, in 1995 but divorced in 2006.
Hawking died at the age of 76. According to his family, Hawking died peacefully at his home in the early hours of Wednesday, March 14, 2018.
“We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today. it is scientist a great and extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years,” said Luci, Robert and Tim, Hawking’s three children, at the time.
After the news of Stephen Hawking’s death spread widely, the Motor Neurone Disease Association’s charity website went down because of the large number of incoming donations. Since 2008, Stephen Hawking has been a patron of the organization.
SITI NUR RAHMAWATI
Read: The Story of Stephen Hawking Who Survived ALS For 50 Years
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