The famous British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking has died at the age of 77, the BBC broadcaster reports, citing representatives of the scientist's family. Back in 1963, doctors gave Hawking a disappointing diagnosis - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Experts believed that he had only two and a half years to live. But the physicist, contrary to all predictions, continued to lead an active life and gain recognition in scientific circles. He became one of the founders of quantum cosmology, and also shed light on what black holes are.
“We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today. He was a great scientist and an outstanding man whose work and legacy will stay with us for many years,”the Hawking family said in a statement.
Stephen Hawking's disease did not progress as quickly as doctors expected, so he moved to a wheelchair only in the late 60s. In 1985, Hawking suffered a complicated pneumonia, resulting in the loss of the ability to speak. Later, his voice was a speech synthesizer, which he controlled with the help of a finger that retained some mobility. This synthesizer was constantly being improved taking into account the fact that the scientist eventually became almost completely paralyzed, with the exception of one of the facial muscles, opposite which the sensor was fixed to interact with the computer system. The latest version of the computer specifically for Hawking was created by Intel.
In 2007 Hawking flew in zero gravity aboard a special plane. The physicist always dreamed of going into space, and even planned to do so in 2009, but the flight never took place for a number of reasons, including his health. Hawking was a staunch atheist and always opposed the conduct of war. For example, he considered the war in Iraq a war crime and actively supported nuclear disarmament. Stephen Hawking was married twice, and from his first wife, Jane Wilde, he had a son, Robert (1967), a daughter, Lucy (1970), and a son, Timothy (1979). Following the divorce, Hawking remarried his caregiver, Alain Mason, in 1995. They lived with her until 2006.
Hawking became famous all over the world thanks to his book A Brief History of Time. He held 12 honorary degrees and was a member of the British Royal Society of Science and the US Academy of Sciences. His scientific achievements and discoveries have been recognized with numerous prizes and awards. Stephen Hawking led a completely open lifestyle, did not hide from fans, made frequent lectures, taught at universities and even took part in the filming of the comedy television series "The Big Bang Theory", which tells about the lives of several scientific friends. In addition, the scientist voiced his character for the animated series The Simpsons and Futurama. In 2014, a biography film about the life of the physicist "Stephen Hawking's Universe" was released on the big screens, in which the main role was played by actor Eddie Redmayne.
Sergey Gray
