Stephen Hawking

Stephen William Hawking was born on 8 January 1942. The son of a research biologist and a medical research secretary, his upbringing gave him a strong curiosity about the Universe. He was drawn to physics and mathematics because he believed they offered the most fundamental insights into the world. He studied natural sciences at Oxford University, where he was awarded a first, and then moved to Cambridge to begin a PhD in cosmology.

Motor Neurone Diagnosis

When Hawking returned home after his first term at Cambridge, his parents noticed that he was experiencing clumsiness and a slight speech impediment. A fall while ice-skating prompted a trip to the doctor. Shortly after his 21st birthday he was diagnosed with ALS - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – an incurable form of motor neurone disease.

Doctors initially gave Hawking two years to live. His condition steadily deteriorated. He began using a wheelchair, and eventually lost his power of speech. However Hawking refused to let his diagnosis distract him from his work. He completed his PhD, and went on to enjoy a full career as a leading theoretical physicist.

Colleagues have suggested that the way in which Hawking adapted his working style, and his ability to visualise solutions to problems, have had an impact on his research and his view of the Universe.

Significant contributions

Hawking quickly became a leading figure in the world of cosmology. Among his many contributions, he will be remembered for his work on black holes. His work during the 1970s, which led to the discovery that black holes emit thermal radiation, has been described as one of the most important developments in 20th century physics. Hawking’s revolutionary insights were achieved by combining three previously separate areas of physics: quantum theory, general relativity and thermodynamics.

Hawking also attempted to tackle some of the most fundamental questions in Physics, applying his work on black holes to model the Big Bang and the nature of time.

A Brief History of Time

Not content with publishing amongst his peers, Hawking has also been recognised for communicating his understanding of the Universe to a wider audience. His first book, A Brief History of Time, remained on the Sunday Times best-seller list for a record 237 weeks, and remains the most popular science book of all time. Hawking has since published a number of other books. In his most recent, The Grand Design, he argued that there was no place for God in the creation of the Universe, and that the Big Bang was an inevitable consequence of the laws of physics.

Awards and recognition

Hawking has been widely recognised for his work. He was awarded the Eddington Medal from the Royal Astronomical Society, and the Royal Society’s Hughes Medal. In 1979 he accepted the post of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge: a post once held by Isaac Newton. He stepped down – as Cambridge University tradition required – at the age of 67. At the same time, he took up a post as director of research at Cambridge, stating emphatically that he was not retiring.