The world-famous theoretical physicist and scientist Stephen William Hawking was born on January 8, 1942 in Oxford, Great Britain, into a family of doctors.

Father Frank was a scientific research activities, Isabel's mother held the position of secretary medical institution, working in the same team with your spouse. Steve grew up with two sisters and stepbrother Edward, who was adopted by the Hawking family.


After graduating high school, Stephen entered Oxford University, from which he received a bachelor's degree in 1962. Two and a half years later, in 1966, the young man became one of the first Doctors of Philosophy from Trinity Hall College at the University of Cambridge.

Disease

From his early childhood, Stephen was a healthy boy; even in his youth he was not bothered by any illnesses. But in his youth a misfortune happened to him. Young Stephen was found to have terrible disease– amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The diagnosis sounded like a death sentence. Symptoms of the disease developed with enormous speed. As a result future genius science remained completely paralyzed. Despite this, Stephen Hawking always appears in photographs with a kind smile. Being confined to a wheelchair, Stephen did not stop at mental development, self-educated, studied scientific literature, attended seminars. The guy fought every minute. His moral spirit helped him gain permanent membership of the Royal Society of London in 1974.


In 1985, Stephen Hawking underwent surgery on the larynx, which could not be avoided due to complicated pneumonia. Since then, Stephen stopped talking completely, but continued to actively communicate with colleagues using a speech synthesizer developed by his friends - engineers at the University of Cambridge - especially for him.

For some time, Hawking could move his right index finger. But this ability was lost over time. The only facial muscle of the cheek remained mobile. A sensor installed opposite this muscle helped Stephen control a computer with which he could communicate with the people around him.


Despite serious illness, the biography of Stephen Hawking is filled with rosy events, scientific discoveries and achievements. The terrible disease did not break Stephen, it only slightly changed the course of his life. Almost completely paralyzed, Stephen Hawking saw no obstacles in his own illness and led a full, work-filled life.

One day Hawking accomplished a real feat. He agreed to experience the conditions of being in weightless space by flying on a specially equipped aircraft. This event, which occurred in 2007, completely changed Stephen Hawking's view of the world around him. The scientist set himself a goal - to conquer space no later than 2009.

Physics

Stephen Hawking's main expertise is cosmology and quantum gravity. The scientist studied thermodynamic processes occurring in wormholes, black holes and dark matter. A phenomenon that describes and characterizes the “evaporation of black holes”—“Hawking radiation”—is named after him.

In 1974, Stephen and another well-known specialist at the time, Kip Korn, argued about the nature of the Cygnus X-1 space object and its radiation. Stephen, managing to contradict his own research, argued that this object is not a black hole. However, having suffered a defeat, in 1990 he gave the winnings to the winner of the dispute. It should be noted that the bets of the young guys were quite “serious”. Stephen Hawking put his one-year subscription to the erotic glossy magazine Penthouse on the line, and Kip Korn put his four-year subscription to the humorous magazine Private Eye on the line.


In 1997, Stephen Hawking made another bet, but this time with Kip Thorne against John Philip Preskill. The controversial debate has become Starting point in the groundbreaking research of Stephen Hawking, which he presented at a special press conference in 2004. According to John Preskill, there is some information in the waves that black holes emit that cannot be deciphered.

Hawking contradicted this argument, relying on the results of his 1975 research. He argued that the information cannot be deciphered, since it falls into a Universe parallel to our galaxy.


Later, in 2004, during a press conference in Dublin on the topic of cosmology, Stephen Hawking put forward new theory about the nature of a black hole. With this conclusion, Hawking was again defeated in the argument, having to admit that his opponent was right. In his theory, the physicist nevertheless proved that information does not disappear without a trace, but one day it will leave black hole along with thermal radiation.

In 2015, the premiere of the full-length feature film “Stephen Hawking’s Universe” took place, in which the young scientist was played by the outstanding Hollywood actor Eddie Redmayne, according to the producers, is ideal for this role. The film sold for quotes that are actively used by British youth.

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Name: Stephen Hawking

Place of Birth: Oxford

Height: 165 cm

Zodiac sign: Capricorn

Eastern horoscope: Horse

Activity: theoretical physicist, astrophysicist, mathematician

Stephen William Hawking was born on January 8, 1942 in Oxford, UK. The father of the future scientist, Frank, was engaged in research at the medical center in Hampstead, and his mother, Isabel, worked as a secretary at the same center. In addition, the Hawking couple had 2 more daughters - Philip and Mary. The Hawkings also adopted another child, Edward.

Hawking was educated at the university in his native Oxford in 1962, he received a bachelor's degree. In 1966 he acquired academic degree Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), graduating from Trinity Hall College at the University of Cambridge.

In the early 60s, Hawking was diagnosed with a disease - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - which began to progress rapidly and soon led to complete paralysis. In 1965, Stephen Hawking legalized his relationship with Jane Wilde, who bore him 2 sons and a daughter. In 1974, Stephen Hawking was given permanent membership of the Royal Society of London for the Advancement of Natural Sciences. In 1985, Hawking underwent throat surgery, after which the scientist almost completely lost the ability to speak. Since then, he has been communicating using a speech synthesizer, which was made for him and given to him by friends. Also, slight mobility persisted for some time in index finger on right hand scientist. However, soon only one of them remained mobile in Hawking’s body. facial muscles cheeks; Through a sensor installed opposite this muscle, the scientist controls a special computer, which gives him the opportunity to communicate with those around him.

In 1991, Hawking divorced his first wife, and in 1995 he married the woman who had previously been the scientist’s nurse, Elaine Manson, and was married to her until October 2006 (11 years), after which he divorced his second by his wife. Hawking's almost complete paralysis of the body is not an obstacle for a scientist who wants to lead a rich life. So, in April 2007, Stephen Hawking experienced the conditions of flight in zero gravity, traveling on a special aircraft, and in 2009 he even planned to fly into space. As the scientist noted, it is interesting that, although he is a professor of mathematics, he does not have the appropriate mathematical education. Even as a teacher at Oxford, he was forced to study the textbook from which his students studied, being ahead of their knowledge by only a couple of weeks.

The field in which Stephen Hawking the scientist conducted his activities is cosmology and quantum gravity. The main achievements in these areas can be called the study of thermodynamic processes that occur in black holes, the discovery of the so-called. “Hawking radiation” (a phenomenon developed by Hawking in 1975, which describes the “evaporation” of black holes), putting forward an opinion on the process of information disappearance inside black holes (in a report dated July 21, 2004).

In 1974, Stephen Hawking argued with another scientist, Kip Thorne. The subject of dispute was the nature of the space object called Cygnus X-1 and its radiation. Thus, Hawking, contradicting his own research, stated that the object is not a black hole. Admitting defeat, Stephen Hawking gave the winnings to the winner in 1990. It's funny that the scientists' stakes were very juicy. Stephen Hawking put a year's edition of the erotic magazine Penthouse against a four-year subscription to satirical magazine– “Private eye”. Another bet that Hawking made in 1997, together with K. Thorne, against Professor J. Preskill, became the impetus for the scientist’s revolutionary research and report in 2004. Thus, Preskill stated that there is some information in the waves that black holes emit, but people cannot decipher it. To which Hawking said, based on personal research in 1975, that such information is not possible to find, since it falls into a Universe parallel to ours. In 2004, at a conference on cosmology held in Dublin, Stephen Hawking presented to scientists a new revolutionary theory about the nature of the black hole, admitting that his opponent Preskill was right. In his theory, Hawking stated that in black holes information did not disappear without a trace, but was significantly distorted, and one day it would leave the hole along with radiation.

Stephen Hawking is also known as an active popularizer of science. His first popular science work was the book “ Short story time" (1988), which is still a bestseller to this day.

Stephen Hawking is also the author of the books “Black Holes and Young Universes” (published in 1993), “The World in a Nutshell” (2001). In 2005, the popular scientist republished his “A Brief History of ...”, inviting Leonard Mlodinow as a co-author . The book was published under the title " Brief history time." In collaboration with his daughter Lucy, the scientist wrote a popular science book for children, “George and the Secrets of the Universe” (2006). Hawking also gave a lecture at the White House in 1998. There, the scientist gave a very optimistic scientific forecast for humanity for the next 1000 years. The statements of 2003 were not so inspiring; in them, he recommended that humanity should immediately move to other inhabited worlds to avoid viruses that threaten our survival. He is the author of the series documentaries about the Universe, which were released in 1997 (3-episode), in 2010 (6 episodes) and in 2012 (3-episode).

Who is Stephen Hawking? This question is asked by many people who first saw a scientist on television or read his articles. The professor can be found everywhere - in the news, programs about space, scientific journals and even in your favorite TV series. Many people have a question: “The scientist in a wheelchair - what is his name?” The answer is Stephen Hawking. A biography with a photo will help you find out about this the smartest person more.

Childhood and youth

The British scientist was born in Oxford on January 8, 1942. His father, Frank, worked at the Hampstead Medical Research Center, and his mother, Isabel, worked there as a secretary. Stephen has 2 sisters - Philip and Mary and foster brother Edward.

The future scientist grew up as an ordinary child and did not show any outstanding abilities. He loved collecting electric locomotives and assembling models of various equipment.

According to his mother, Stephen already at school looked like a little scientist with his awkward figure, big glasses and love of scientific debates. His peers called him Zubrila and Einstein, but despite these nicknames, the scientist was never an excellent student. He preferred physics, mathematics and chemistry, and was indifferent to other sciences. Nevertheless, his grades allowed him to enter Oxford University.

Disease

At university, Stephen Hawking enjoyed partying and rowing. He devoted little time to his studies, doing only the essentials. There is a known case when Hawking completed a task in one day that his classmates could not complete in a week.

In his third year, Hawking began to notice some clumsiness in himself; he often fell and dropped things. After another severe fall, he consulted a doctor, but the doctor found no cause for concern and advised the student to drink less beer and get plenty of rest.

Stephen graduated with honors from Oxford. The next step in obtaining a degree in physics was Cambridge. The scientist’s health was deteriorating and the awkwardness could no longer be attributed to fatigue or absent-mindedness. At the age of 21, Hawking consulted a doctor again.

This time a more serious study was carried out. Doctors found out that the disease was progressing and Stephen had no more than two years to live. Lateral atrophic sclerosis (Lou-Hering's disease) is a disease that destroys nerve cells responsible for muscle control. The disease progresses and gradually fades away, paralysis occurs and eventually the respiratory muscles fail, which leads to death.

Typically, this fatal disease occurs in older adults over 50 years of age, and patients die within 2.5 years of diagnosis. The exception to both rules was Professor Stephen Hawking. The biography of the scientist could be offensively short, but now he is already 73 years old.

Personal life

Who is Stephen Hawking? Not only a famous scientist who became practically a legend during his lifetime, but also happy father and grandfather. Family and new love helped a lot young man adapt to a new life after terrible diagnosis. The disease progressed slowly, which allowed Stephen to gradually get used to his condition.

Success at work and the beginning of a relationship with a young girl, Jane Wilde, helped him overcome depression and a pessimistic mood. Future wife became a muse, assistant and best friend scientist. In order to financially secure their future, Hawking began to work actively. In 1965 he married Jane after a year of dating. In 1967 he was forced to start using crutches and in the same year his first child was born. Stephen met two other children already in

In 1985, during a trip to Geneva, Hawking fell ill with pneumonia. This disease is extremely dangerous for people with lateral sclerosis. Stephen was in critical condition, and doctors suggested Jane let her terminally ill husband die peacefully. But the woman decided to fight for her husband’s life to the end and moved him home to Cambridge, where he managed to overcome the infection. To ease breathing, doctors were forced to perform a tracheotomy. The scientist forever lost the ability to speak.

Jane found it difficult to cope with three children and a husband, so after the operation they hired a nurse, Elaine Mason.

Due to disagreements and difficult conditions at home, Stephen separated from his wife and moved into his caregiver's house in 1990. The couple filed for divorce in 1991, and already in 1995 Hawking married Elaine.

Their marriage lasted 11 years and was accompanied by numerous scandals in the press. Many suspected that the woman had married for selfish reasons and was mistreating her husband. In 2004, Stephen was even summoned for questioning by the police to explain the origin of numerous injuries. The scientist denied the accusations against his wife, but still divorced after 2 years. Today he is not married and is in close contact with his children and grandchildren.

Armchair

In 1970, Hawking could no longer move independently and began using wheelchair, at first ordinary, later with a pneumatic motor. Who is Stephen Hawking without his chair, which allows the professor to continue working despite his serious health condition? It was the image of a scientist in a huge chair crammed with electronic devices that was so memorable to ordinary people. Because of his interest in himself, Hawking chose the popularization of science as one of his areas of activity.

After undergoing a tracheotomy, the professor was in danger, because he was practically unable to communicate. He had to use letter cards by pointing at desired movement eyebrows It took a full minute to compose one word. A real breakthrough in the communication system was the use of a computer. Letters and words crawl across the screen, which you can point to by pressing your finger on the clicker.


Engineer David Mason helped create a laptop computer that could be installed on wheelchair, and provided Hawking with his famous electronic voice with American accent. By the way, Stephen considers this voice his business card and does not abandon it when updating equipment and software.

Now the scientist’s fingers are paralyzed and he, together with his assistant, invented new system communication. Now the computer can be controlled using an infrared sensor that detects twitching of the right cheek.

Scientific work

The nature of black holes is one of the areas in which Stephen Hawking is interested. The famous scientist is one of the founders of quantum cosmology. His findings created a sensation in the scientific community. The professor believes that a black hole does not absorb information without a trace, but distorts and releases it as it evaporates. This radiation is named after Hawking.

The professor actively works not only on writing books and articles, but also gives public lectures and visits scientific conferences all over the world, appears in television programs and gives interviews. He talks about the development of artificial intelligence and the colonization of other planets, helps in medical research and is interested in creating exoskeletons that will allow people with disabilities live a full life.

Popularization of science

Thanks to his recognition, Professor Stephen Hawking does a lot to popularize science. Titled A Brief History of Time, it was published in 1988, became a bestseller and is still popular today. It's written in simple language For ordinary people, far from the world of science.

Other famous books Hawking - “Black Holes and Young Universes”, “The World in a Nutshell”. They talk about the contents of black holes, the structure of space-time and the Big Bang. The scientist also co-wrote a children's book with his daughter. It tells children about space and is called "George and the Secrets of the Universe."

Mass media

The professor's name is often mentioned in various shows and TV shows in which Stephen Hawking enjoys participating. The life and work of the scientist is shown in two feature films"The Theory of Everything" and "Hawking". He has a cameo in the popular series about young physicists "The Big Bang Theory", and the series " Star Trek: The Next Generation,” and Stephen voiced his characters in “The Simpsons” and “Futurama” himself.

In addition, the image of a scientist in a wheelchair and his name are used in a huge number science fiction films, TV series, books.

After watching films and reading his books, you will be able to fully answer the question for yourself: “Who is Stephen Hawking?”

Today, at the age of 76, the literally brilliant physicist Stephen Hawking passed away. A man whose willpower everyone can envy. A person who managed despite life circumstances and physical limitations to make dozens of discoveries.

Let's remember what Stephen Hawking gave to humanity and what is remarkable about his research and scientific works.

Personal life, illness

As a child, Stephen was an ordinary child. The boy was never sick and graduated with honors from Oxford University with a bachelor's degree in physics and mathematics.

1963 was a turning point for Hawking - doctors diagnosed the guy with amyotrophic sclerosis (ALS). An incurable disease that progressed every day. Then the doctors assured that Stephen would not live more than two years.

Stephen lost the ability to speak in 1985. A complication from pneumonia caused a tracheostomy. As a result, Hawking was forced to use a speech synthesizer.

In 1965, Stephen married linguistics student Jane Wilde. The couple had three children: two sons (1967 and 1979) and a daughter (1970). Alas, after 20 years, Stephen and Jane filed for divorce, but, as each party assures, they remained friends.

In 1995, Hawking married his caregiver Elaine Mason. The marriage lasted 11 years and ended in divorce in 2006.

Since 1965, Hawking has been active scientific activity and for 15 years managed to work with research groups Institute of Theoretical Astronomy, become a teacher in the department of applied mathematics and theoretical physics, as well as the theory of gravity.

What is Stephen Hawking remembered for? Hypotheses and discoveries

The legendary theoretical physicist has dozens of scientific discoveries. Fate played a cruel joke on the talented scientist: being physically confined to a wheelchair, Hawking continued to make discoveries in the field of physics.

1. The Universe gave birth to itself

Hawking was skeptical of religion and was a convinced atheist. He repeatedly cited in his scientific works hypotheses that claim that God is not needed for the existence of life on Earth.

Due to the fact that there is such a force as gravity, the Universe could create itself out of nothing. Spontaneous creation is the main reason why we exist. No additional force that can “light” the fire and make the Universe work is needed.

Hawking's universe is a world that was created solely by the laws of physics, gravity and the attraction of particles.

2. Black holes and “Hawking radiation”

In the mid-70s, Hawking conducted a series of studies, the results of which revolutionized cosmology. The scientist found that so-called black holes are characterized by radiation.

Hawking described black holes as a kind of gravitational field resulting from the collapse of stars. If in order to leave the gravitational field of the Earth and leave the planet it is necessary to develop a second escape velocity(everyone develops it modern rockets), then the speed of light will not be enough to escape beyond the black hole.

Hawking radiation is explained by a modification of the energy of the particles that originally formed the star. The ratio of the energy of quantum particles before and after the collapse of a star is called Hawking radiation.

Before Hawking put forward this theory, cosmology tended to favor the theory that black holes are completely static and do not emit any energy. Stephen looked at the problem from the perspective of quantum physics.

It is noteworthy that it was black holes that Hawking called “an inexhaustible source of energy.” Alas, scientists have not yet been able to apply this discovery in practice.

3. Predicting the end of humanity

Due to the constantly growing number of people living on Earth, the amount of energy consumed by humanity is also growing.

Realizing this, Stephen Hawking predicted the death of planet Earth by 2600. The reason for this is the gradual increase in temperature due to energy consumption. Hawking was confident that within 500 years the Earth would turn into a “blazing ball of fire.”

Hawking’s theory was taken seriously and the search for a “reserve planet” for the inhabitants of the Earth began to be carried out much more actively from the day the hypothesis was announced.

4. Einstein, relativity and GPS errors

The general theory of relativity was formulated by Einstein at the beginning of the 20th century. Stephen Hawking not only considered himself one of the popularizers of this theory, but also managed to warn manufacturers of satellite navigation systems against global mistakes.

The closer an object is to Earth, the slower time passes for it. Given the difference in distance that the satellites are from each other, each of them will perceive time differently.

Hawking's research confirmed that neglecting this scientific fact can lead to errors in GPS navigation and cumulative error, which would lead to a decrease in accuracy of up to 10 kilometers per day.

5. The past is a probability

Hawking did not accept the fact of the connection between the past and the present. The physicist was sure that everything that happened in the past quantum mechanics can explain how random and arbitrary a set of events is.

Whatever you remember about the past, it, like the future, exists solely as a spectrum of possibilities.

Simply put, Hawking Once again emphasized that there are no patterns in time.

6. The Universe is fickle

In 1988, Hawking published his book A Brief History of Time. In a few months it turns into a bestseller. main idea works – the impermanence of the Universe.

Until the 20th century, scientists were sure that the Universe is something eternal and unchanging. Stephen Hawking argued the opposite.

Light from distant galaxies is shifted towards the red part of the spectrum. This means that they are moving away from us, that the Universe is expanding.

This assumption is called the theory big bang(aka “Birth Theory”).

7. Extraterrestrial civilizations exist

Hawking was sure that aliens exist, but only a meeting between humans and representatives extraterrestrial civilizations don't bode well.

Stephen Hawking suggested that if alien technology surpasses human technology, the Earth will turn into a colony.

There are more than 100 billion galaxies in the Universe. Each consists of 100 million stars. I am sure that Earth is not the only place where life develops.

Invaluable contribution to the popularization of science

At the end of 2015, a medal named after Professor Stephen Hawking was established in London. The award is given for the popularization of science and the promotion of works that contribute to the advancement scientific knowledge in a variety of fields.

For three years the pioneer received the award electronic music Jean-Michel Jarre, American astrophysicist and popular science writer Neil deGrasse Tyson, composer Hans Zimmer and other personalities trying to make science more popular and accessible to ordinary people.

Stephen Hawking has been called the last great dreamer. His legacy and works will live on long years. Thanks to Hawking. He managed to change humanity's views on information, on the perception of black holes, on the singularity and understanding of the Universe.

Rest in peace, Stephen.


Name: Stephen Hawking (Stephen William Hawking)

Age: 76 years old

Place of Birth: Oxford, UK

A place of death:: Cambridge

Activity: Scientist, theoretical physicist, mathematician

Family status: was divorced

Stephen Hawking - biography

During the Second World War, Oxford and Cambridge were the only places in Great Britain that were not reached by German bombers. Frank Hawking chose Oxford and moved there from London with his wife. Soon, on January 8, 1942, Isabel gave birth to her first child, a son, Stephen.

The boy grew up strong and healthy. Two daughters followed, so Stephen was left to his own devices. He sat for a long time, dismantling old watches and other mechanisms, he wanted to see how everything worked. School turned out to be much less interesting: the teachers were boring, the subjects were boring. Unless mathematics is the only worthwhile science...


Stephen's parents worked in the medical field and were confident that son will go in their footsteps. But he refused - mathematics or physics! I had to work hard to get into the university, because at school Stephen was almost the worst student in the class. Although I couldn’t dare call the boy stupid. On the contrary, his classmates gave him the nickname Einstein - apparently in advance.

Stephen's admission to Oxford was celebrated on a grand scale. Only the young man himself did not really value what he had. As before, he was only interested in exact sciences. In addition, it turned out that Hawking did not have many friends, and this upset him. True, there was a way out. Rowers were considered the most popular in Oxford, and Stephen became one of them - he took the position of helmsman. It turned out badly, the team lost at the competition, but now everyone knew him by sight, and there was no end to new acquaintances.

At one of the student parties, Stephen met her - the one who could make him forget about both his friends and rowing. Jane Wilde was not only pretty, but also turned out to be an interesting conversationalist. Well, who else would listen to stories about physical phenomena And latest discoveries? And she listened...

Young Hawking spent one frosty Christmas day in 1962 at the skating rink. I was in a great mood, the ice was slipping under my feet, and suddenly... Everything started spinning, my legs tangled, and Stephen fell backwards. This was not the first fall. Before him, the young man had already happened to fly from the stairs, porch, and slip out of the blue. The parents insisted on an examination, and the doctors issued a disappointing verdict - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This meant that over time the muscles would completely atrophy, and Stephen himself would best case scenario will remain a “vegetable”.

The doctor took the patient’s inconsolable mother aside.

I give him two and a half years, no more.

The main question Stephen asked himself after hearing the verdict was: “Why me?” And then he suddenly realized how many plans he had. In addition, Jane was nearby, who, having learned about the diagnosis, was not afraid. This means we can move on with our lives.

Stephen Hawking - personal life

The disease progressed. If on own wedding Stephen came with a cane, then met his firstborn already on crutches.

Speech also failed - it became inarticulate.

Meanwhile, a daughter and another son were born. Robert, Lucy and Timothy became the meaning of Hawking's life, his continuation. But it became increasingly difficult for Jane to cope with the children, and even to care for her husband. Fortunately, a modern wheelchair was available that Stephen could easily operate. And students often dropped in to check on him and help if needed. By that time, Hawking was already a professor of mathematics. It is interesting that for the first time he covered many of the topics in the textbook almost in parallel with the students, ahead of them by only a couple of weeks.

IN free time Hawking was a scientist. Most of all, he was fascinated by cosmology and black holes, which, as Stephen argued, “evaporate”, losing energy due to specific radiation. To this day it is still called Hawking radiation. The whole world soon learned about the scientist's discoveries. scientific world. Prizes poured in one after another, Stephen did not expect such recognition.

Despite the obvious difficulties, the Hawking family looked quite happy from the outside.

But only from the outside... Jane is somewhat recent years haunted by the same nightmare: her husband dies, and she is left alone with three children and accumulated problems.

Should we blame her for the fact that one day a woman could not stand it and succumbed to a new feeling? Jonathan Jones, a musician from the church choir, was strong, healthy, strong. On a voluntary basis, he helped the Hawking family and, in the meantime, won Jane's heart. Stephen understood what was happening, but... he let things take their course. He himself was afraid that his days were numbered, and he wanted his wife and children not to be left alone.

This triangle could have tormented its participants for a long time if not for chance. In 1985, while in Switzerland, Stephen contracted pneumonia. Complex operations did not give results, the patient had to undergo a tracheotomy. From now on there was a tube sticking out of his throat, and he could no longer speak. Jane's hands dropped. She helped as best she could, but her enthusiasm was fading. A few years later, the couple divorced.

Those around him felt sorry for Stephen: who needs him now? To say something, he had to type it with his finger, and a speech synthesizer would reproduce what he had written. But nurse Elaine Mason understood him without words. Spending day after day with the physicist, the woman became attached to this smart and different person. In 1995, they quietly got married.

Over the long 11 years their life together Elaine saved Stephen from death several times. She was there when he was choking, coughing, and losing consciousness. But for her this burden was too heavy. They divorced, humbly letting each other go.

Stephen Hawking today

Stephen Hawking is alone today. However, one is not quite the right word. Next to him are his students and colleagues, with whom he never ceases to discuss problems. modern science. He is sure that there are still many discoveries ahead. Children do not abandon the scientist - he and his daughter Lucy together wrote a children's book about the boy George and his adventures in the Universe.

73-year-old Hawking is not going to die, because there is still so much to do. After all, he still doesn't have Nobel Prize, although he fully deserves it. If an award were given for willpower, desire to live and unshakable spirit, he undoubtedly would have received it long ago.

Death of a Scientist