Stephen Hawking

Zahraan Raheel

Furtado

HS English: Period 1

2/14/2018

The One and Only

Stephen Hawkinghttp://www.hawking.org.uk/It's not every day that a scientist gets their own movie, then again, it's not common for anyone with ALS to live to 76. Stephen Hawking has tackled some of the toughest problems in physics to extend humanity's reach into the clouds of knowledge. When Hawking was 21 years old, he was diagnosed with ALS. The disease degrades your muscles and is eventually fatal. Nearly all people with ALS die within a few years of diagnosis. Hawking, despite having only a few years left to live, continued to study for his degree and became one of the most famous physicists in the world. In order to be a hero one must be strong willed. This means that they shouldn’t be constantly switching sides or having drastic changes in beliefs. They also can have their morals changed or destroyed by a person's words or another's opinions/actions. The person should also make a serious effort to overcome any roadblocks leading to the goal he/she is trying to reach. To be a hero one must also have made a contribution to the world. This contribution could be many things, it could be saving a life, helping the poor, spreading knowledge, or raising awareness on a certain subject. Stephen Hawking has made many contributions to the world and possesses a strong will making him a hero.

Hawking's strong will enables him to complete tasks without being swayed by hatred or misfortune. Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with an extremely rare disease known as ALS. The disease slowly cripples a person for the time leading to their death. In 1963 Stephen was diagnosed with ALS, a form of Motor Neurone Disease, shortly after his 21st birthday. In spite of being wheelchair-bound and dependent on a computerised voice system for communication Stephen continues to combine family life (he has three children and three grandchildren) with his research into theoretical physics, in addition to an extensive programme of travel and public lectures (Stephen Hawking). Hawking, diagnosed with ALS at the age of 21, lost his ability to walk, talk, and take care of himself. Despite this he was still able to make a family, continue his profession as a theoretical physicist, and gave lectures from a tablet with a computer voice. He didn’t let his disease take anything more than it did. He continued to do everything he was before and continued working hard to become better than he was. After Hawking was diagnosed with ALS rumors about him quickly spread. Nearly all of these rumors portrayed Hawking as someone who had given up, who didn’t care what happened next, someone who lost himself in despair. “For the first two years, the disease progressed rapidly, and some sources reported that he lost interest in his work, reverting instead to reading science fiction and drinking, although Hawking denied this story in Playboy” (Stephen Hawking Newsmakers). Rumors about Hawking continued to rise and continue to bash him, but through all of it he stood his ground. He didn’t let what others said about him change the way he thought of himself. He simply revealed the truth, that he hadn’t lost faith in himself or his work that he was known so well for. Hawking has faced many hardships, but through them all he continued to strive towards his dreams and reach higher goals.

Hawking's giving a lecture at Cambridgehttps://photo.johanneshjorth.se/london-mathematical-society-150-years/Hawking has made an innumerable amount of contributions to the scientific community. Stephen Hawking has made contributions in many different areas of the scientific community, but his main work resides in the field of astrophysics. One in particular is that of what happens when a black hole swallows an object. “In 2004, at the 17th International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation, Hawking announced that his previous theory about black holes was wrong. Rather than objects disappearing into a black hole without a trace, he now theorizes (and backs up that theory with mind-boggling new calculations) that black holes can preserve information from objects swallowed up” (Stephen Hawking Newsmakers). Hawking continues to contribute new information in many fields including astrophysics. Hawking does admit that a few of his old works may be inaccurate, but when new information comes to light he will ensure that it holds the title of correct and older, inaccurate information is discarded. Hawking has made many discoveries which involve black holes, but few were as groundbreaking as Hawking Radiation. Before this discovery it was thought that black holes lived forever, but afterwards it became clear that these strange bodies are not immortal. “Around 1970, Hawking discovered a remarkable property of black holes. By using both Einstein's theory of general relativity (which states that gravity controls the universe and does so in a predictable manner) and quantum theory (which states that matter behaves randomly at the level of the atom and below), he was able to show that black holes can emit radiation. This was a challenge to the conventional notion that nothing can ever escape from a black hole. By 1973, he was able to prove mathematically that what he called mini-black holes actually give off particles and radiation (energy in the form of waves), after which they gradually evaporate and explode” (Stephen Hawking Math & Mathematicians). Hawking with his many works has given a lot of knowledge to the scientific community. He is most famous for his works with black holes. One groundbreaking discovery was how black holes do indeed die via a process known as Hawking radiation. This discovery shattered what many thought they knew about black holes and started a chain of new discoveries about black holes. There have been many discoveries on the topic of black holes, but no one has illuminated as many dark corners as Hawking. Hawking's strong will and contributions to the world make him a true hero. Hawking is a man with a strong will and a brilliant mind that can make contributions to society. He keeps on going even when the toughest of obstacles block his path. He relentlessly works on discovering new data to help enlighten the people of today. “In 1963, Hawking contracted motor neuron disease and was given two years to live, yet he went on to Cambridge to become a brilliant researcher and Professorial Fellow at Gonville and Caius College. From 1979 to 2009 he held the post of Lucasian Professor at Cambridge, the chair held by Isaac Newton in 1663. Professor Hawking has over a dozen honorary degrees and was awarded the CBE in 1982. He is a fellow of the Royal Society and a member of the US National Academy of Science. Stephen Hawking is regarded as one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists since Einstein” (Stephen Hawking). Hawking is one of the hardest working people in the world. Rising up from a middle class family, he entered Cambridge University and became one of the world's leading physicists. He has received dozens of awards and is a member of the US National Academy of Science. He has had a difficult journey but in the end achieved his goal and is continuing to set new ones. Hawking is an inspirational figure who displays what hard work can get one in this world. There are many rare and amazing things in this world, but nothing is more rare than a hero. Someone who will rise up and pave the way to a greater world, a person who puts everything aside to achieve what matters most, someone who can way and forge a better society for the people of this planet.

Work Cited

"Hawking, Stephen W. 1942–." Concise Major 21st Century Writers, edited by Tracey L. Matthews, vol. 3, Gale, 2006, pp. 1663-1669. Gale Virtual Reference Library, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX2590000308/GVRL?u=powa9245&sid=GVRL&xid=1f243540. Accessed 30 Jan. 2018.

"Stephen Hawking." Math & Mathematicians: The History of Math Discoveries Around the World, edited by Leonard C. Bruno, UXL, 2008. Research in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1669000096/MSIC?u=powa9245&sid=MSIC&xid=cc6949fb. Accessed 31 Jan. 2018.

"Stephen Hawking." Newsmakers, Gale, 1990. Biography in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1618002264/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=9ba0ad74. Accessed 30 Jan. 2018.

Stephen Hawking, www.hawking.org.uk/.