Notes Class 10 Chapter 3.3 Kumarbharati English Maharashtra Board

Stephen Hawking

About Stephen Hawking

• Born: 8 January 1942
• Died: 14 March 2018.
• British physicist, cosmologist, author.
• Director of Research, Centre for Theoretical Cosmology, Cambridge.
• Combined general relativity and quantum mechanics for cosmology.
• Awards: Presidential Medal of Freedom, FRSA, Pontifical Academy member.

Life and Challenges

• Born 1942, studied cosmology at Cambridge.
• Diagnosed with ALS (1963, age 21): nerves controlling muscles failed; given 2.5 years to live.
• Early symptoms: tripping, slurred speech at Oxford; ignored until 1963.
• Tests confirmed ALS, not multiple sclerosis; called atypical case.
• Hospital experience: shared room with leukemia patient, felt his situation was bearable.
• Dream of execution made him value life.
• ALS progressed: wheelchair by 1969, needed help for most tasks by mid-1970s.
• Speech slurred, lost voice after tracheotomy (1985); required 24-hour care.
• Used speech synthesizer: selected words via clicker, later cheek muscle sensor.
• Health issues: chest infection (2009), hospitalized as “gravely ill” but recovered.

Scientific Work

• Combined cosmology (large universe) and quantum mechanics (small particles).
• Believed in time travel, human colonization of planets.
• Thought in 11 dimensions.
• Sought unifying theory to explain universe’s origin.

Books

• A Brief History of Time (1988):
  • Explained space, time, universe.
  • Bestseller, sold millions, translated into 40+ languages.
• The Universe in a Nutshell (2001): Illustrated guide to cosmology theories.
• A Briefer History of Time (2005): Simplified concepts, added string theory.
• The Grand Design (2010): Argued universe created itself via laws like gravity.
• The Theory of Everything.
• Total: 15 books written/co-written.

Views on Universe

• Early belief: Creator could align with science.
• The Grand Design: Big Bang due to physics, not God.

Quotes:

• “Universe can and will create itself from nothing.”
• “Not necessary to invoke God to set the universe going.”

Achievements

• World-famous after A Brief History of Time.
• Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, Cambridge (30 years, retired 2009).
• Life depicted in The Theory of Everything (2014 film).

Themes

• Resilience: Overcame ALS to achieve greatness.
• Technology: Speech synthesizer enabled communication.
• Curiosity: Pursued unifying theory.
• Accessibility: Simplified science for public.

Quotes

• “Before my condition was diagnosed, I had been very bored with life.”
• “Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself.”
• “It is not necessary to invoke God.”

Support System

• Mid-1970s: Graduate student helped with care/work.
• Assistants and technology aided productivity.