Stephen Hawking is one of the most famous physicists of our time. Not only scientists, but also political scientists, and economists from around the world listen to his opinion. The great researcher believes that the present age is precisely the moment when the most dangerous era has come for humanity. What determines his opinion? What are other interesting ideas put forward by Stephen Hawking? How does a scientist talk and what are the main milestones of his biography? All these questions concern not only those who are seriously interested in physics or astronomy. After all, anyone who admires the courage of a researcher in the face of illness is interested in how he managed to triumph over circumstances.
A Brief Biography of Stephen Hawking
Hawking was born in the UK in a family of doctors. His father was a medical scientist, and his mother worked as a secretary in the same organization. The scientist's childhood passed in the company of two sisters, as well as the adopted son of the Hawking - Edward. Upon graduation from school, Stephen became a student at Oxford, and after graduation he became one of the Ph.D. students at Cambridge University. Hawking has two children from his first wife, and in 1995 he married his nurse. In 2006, Hawking divorced for the second time.
Disease onset
It seemed that everything was in order with the scientist’s health, and nothing portends trouble. But even in his youth, the researcher discovered a disease that seriously affected his whole future life - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The disease progressed at a catastrophic rate, and soon Hawking was paralyzed.
Why does a physicist always appear with a happy smile in his photographs? The fact is that even despite the symptoms of the disease, the scientist continued to study physics, devoting almost all his free time to studying new areas of science. Persistence and courage in relation to the upcoming disease, as well as interest in his beloved business, helped Hawking become a member of the Royal Society of London.
How Hawking is taught science
The main specialization of the theoretical physicist is quantum gravity, as well as cosmology. The universe is full of mysteries, and one of those who decided to explore them is Stephen Hawking. How does a scientist talk and how does he manage to keep in touch with the outside world? The fact is that, despite paralysis of the whole body, he still has one working facial muscle. A small sensor is attached to the scientist’s glasses, which is connected to an even more complex system. Depending on the movement of facial expressions, the sensor determines where the scientist’s gaze is directed.
Speaking aloud with a synthesizer
For example, if Hawking looks at a specific area of a computer, then with the help of this responsive sensor, the researcher can “click” on its specific area. Using this method, a scientist interacts with the outside world, writes letters and scientific articles, and is engaged in scientific research. Some are interested in how Stephen Hawking communicates with others. It should be noted that a scientist can not only send letters by e-mail. By controlling this complex system, he can send signals to a speech synthesizer, and thus even communicate with others aloud.
One of Hawking's scientific disputes
But, despite the huge discoveries, sometimes the researcher still lost the argument to his colleagues. Professor Stephen Hawking's mistake was made by him in a dispute with John Philip Preskill. This debate actually triggered one of the most revolutionary studies that Hawking subsequently conducted. The argument itself was as follows.
John Preskill believed that the waves that come from black holes contain some information that cannot be deciphered for modern science. Hawking, however, was an opponent, not accepting this point of view - as an argument, he cited experimental data obtained in 1975. The researcher believed that information cannot be decoded only for the reason that it enters the parallel Universe.
The film "Stephen Hawking's Universe"
The scientist is also the author of many art paintings. One of the most famous is the "Stephen Hawking Universe." She first appeared on cinema screens in 2015, and the role of the scientist was played by Eddie Redmayne, who was most suitable for her . It must be said that preparing for the filming was a real challenge for the actor. After all, he needed not only to find out all the necessary information - who is Stephen Hawking, how does the scientist talk, how does he perform routine everyday activities for an ordinary person.
The difficult fate of Eddie Redmayne, starring
Redmayne spent about six months talking with physicists and trying to build his own line of behavior in order to please the great scientist. But still, the first meeting aroused great concern among the actor. Still, Stephen Hawking himself was waiting for him at the door. “How does a scientist talk? How to talk to him? ” - All these questions constantly tormented the artist. As a result, he spoke incessantly for the first half hour as soon as he met with Hawking. It turned out that the process of pronouncing phrases actually takes place much more slowly than the actor had expected. Therefore, he often had to fill in awkward pauses in conversation. But still the youth of Great Britain are delighted with this film, and the phrases from the movie have long been divided into quotes.
Scientist fears about the future of humanity
The achievements of the scientist in the field of astrophysics research today are indisputable. Many even believe that Stephen Hawking is Newton of the 20th century. However, he shares his concerns about the future of humanity with representatives of other areas of knowledge - political scientists, economists, and sociologists. For example, Hawking is seriously worried about the possibility of a large percentage of unsecured people simply earning a living. Indeed, modern technologies have led to an ambiguous situation: manual and low-skilled labor is becoming more and more automated. As a result, good earnings are only available to the middle and creative class.