Stephen Hawking: Triumph of the Dreams

Stephen Hawking was not only a notable towering figure in the field of science but also a great visionary who didn’t let his physical debility ever weaken his dreams.

He was not just a genius or a celebrated scientist but also an inspiration that will keep on guiding the mankind in varied ways. Stephen’s life has become a beacon for many people—from science enthusiasts to people with physical barriers.

Let’s know about some of the impressive aspects of his exemplary life:

• Disease VS. Dreams

After earning a degree in Natural Science from Oxford University, Stephen wanted to go for a Ph.D. from Cambridge University. However, at that time his body started experiencing occasional clumsiness.

On being insisted by the family, Stephen went to see a doctor and found that he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig disease- a neurological disorder.

Doctors said that he had only 2 more years to live. But it did not stop Stephen from pursuing his Ph.D. pursuit.  He got his Ph.D. degree at an early age of 23. He soon started his career at Cambridge in the field of research and teaching.

• Zigzag course of life

While Stephen was adamant to follow his dreams, his life was also adamant to present more challenges. The physical condition of Stephen started deteriorating and he was confined to a wheelchair even though he protested at his best. In the same decade, Hawking became a father. He was blessed with 2 children.

• Rare Discovery

Amidst the zigzag of life, Stephen never forgot about his dedication to science. Even during the deteriorating condition, Stephen kept on intensifying his research.

The efforts bore the fruits and he surprised the world, especially the science fraternity, by discovering that black holes emitted radiation. It was a jolt to the earlier belief that Black holes were empty, vacuum.

Respecting his discovery, the radiation was named as Hawking radiation. It was the starting of a genius. During that decade, he got many awards and went on to present several works on science.

• Lost speech but retained ambitions

In 1985, Stephen lost the ability to speak but it did not stop him from expressing his thoughts. He decided to go for a machine that would speak for him. He first used one of his working fingers and later decided to operate it using muscles of his cheek.

The ambitions of this young scientist combined with his ingenious helped him achieve many milestones.

• Notable Discoveries

• Origins of the Universe
• Time Travel
• Space-time Singularities
• A Universe Sans Space-time Boundaries
• Black Hole Radiation
• Gravitation
• The Big Bang Theory
• The existence of Extraterrestrial Life

The following infographic sums up the life of Stephen Hawking.