Stephen Hawking
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Stephen Hawking Stephen William Hawking CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA Oxford to give birth in greater safety.[25] Hawking has ( i/ˈstiːvən ˈhɔːkɪŋ/; born 8 January 1942) is an En- two younger sisters, Philippa and Mary, and an adopted glish theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author and Di- brother, Edward.[26] rector of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cos- In 1950, when his father became head of the division mology within the University of Cambridge.[16][17] His of parasitology at the National Institute for Medical Re- scientific works include a collaboration with Roger Pen- search, Hawking and his family moved to St Albans, on gravitational singularity theorems in the frame- rose Hertfordshire.[27][28] In St Albans, the family were con- work of general relativity, and the theoretical prediction sidered highly intelligent and somewhat eccentric;[27][29] that black holes emit radiation, often called Hawking ra- meals were often spent with each person silently read- diation. Hawking was the first to set forth a theory of ing a book.[27] They lived a frugal existence in a large, cosmology explained by a union of the general theory cluttered, and poorly maintained house, and travelled in of relativity and quantum mechanics. He is a vigorous a converted London taxicab.[30][31] During one of Hawk- supporter of the many-worlds interpretation of quantum [32] [18][19] ing’s father’s frequent absences working in Africa, the mechanics. rest of the family spent four months in Majorca visit- He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a ing his mother’s friend Beryl and her husband, the poet lifetime member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Robert Graves.[33] and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. Hawking was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the Uni- 1.2 Disability versity of Cambridge between 1979 and 2009 and has achieved commercial success with works of popular sci- Hawking suffers from a rare early-onset slow-progressing ence in which he discusses his own theories and cosmol- form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known ogy in general; his book A Brief History of Time appeared as motor neurone disease or Lou Gehrig’s disease, that on the British Sunday Times best-seller list for a record- has gradually paralysed him over the decades.[20] breaking 237 weeks. Hawking had experienced increasing clumsiness during Hawking suffers from a rare early-onset, slow-progressing his final year at Oxford, including a fall on some stairs and form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known difficulties when rowing.[34][35] The problems worsened, as motor neurone disease or Lou Gehrig's disease, that and his speech became slightly slurred; his family noticed [20] has gradually paralysed him over the decades. He now the changes when he returned home for Christmas and communicates using a single cheek muscle attached to a medical investigations were begun.[36][37] The diagnosis speech-generating device. Hawking married twice and of motor neurone disease came when Hawking was 21, has three children. in 1963. At the time, doctors gave him a life expectancy of two years.[38][39] In the late 1960s, Hawking’s physical abilities de- 1 Personal life clined: he began to use crutches and ceased lecturing regularly.[40] As he slowly lost the ability to write, he 1.1 Parents developed compensatory visual methods, including see- ing equations in terms of geometry.[41][42] The physi- Hawking was born on 8 January 1942[1] in Oxford, Eng- cist Werner Israel later compared the achievements to land, to Frank (1905–1986) and Isobel Hawking (née Mozart composing an entire symphony in his head.[43][44] Walker; 1915–2013).[21][22] His mother was Scottish.[23] Hawking was, however, fiercely independent and unwill- Despite their families’ financial constraints, both parents ing to accept help or make concessions for his disabilities. attended the University of Oxford, where Frank stud- He preferred to be regarded as “a scientist first, popu- ied medicine and Isobel, Philosophy, Politics and Eco- lar science writer second, and, in all the ways that mat- nomics.[22] The two met shortly after the beginning of ter, a normal human being with the same desires, drives, the Second World War at a medical research institute dreams, and ambitions as the next person.”[45] His wife where she was working as a secretary and he as a medical Jane Hawking later noted that “Some people would call it researcher.[22][24] They lived in Highgate, but as Lon- determination, some obstinacy. I've called it both at one don was being bombed in those years, Isobel went to time or another.”[46] He required much persuasion to ac- 1 2 1 PERSONAL LIFE cept the use of a wheelchair at the end of the 1960s,[47] to be delivered.[66] but ultimately became notorious for the wildness of his [48] Hawking gradually lost the use of his hand, and in 2005 wheelchair driving. Hawking was a popular and witty he began to control his communication device with move- colleague, but his illness, as well as his reputation for [70][71][72] [46] ments of his cheek muscles, with a rate of about brashness, distanced him from some. one word per minute.[71] With this decline there is a Hawking’s speech deteriorated, and by the late 1970s risk of him developing locked-in syndrome, so Hawk- he could only be understood by his family and closest ing is collaborating with researchers on systems that friends. To communicate with others, someone who could translate his brain patterns or facial expressions into knew him well would translate his speech into intelligi- switch activations.[72][73][74] By 2009 he could no longer ble speech.[49] Spurred by a dispute with the university drive his wheelchair independently.[75] He has increased over who would pay for the ramp needed for him to en- breathing difficulties, requiring a ventilator at times and ter his workplace, Hawking and his wife campaigned for has been hospitalised several times.[73] improved access and support for those with disabilities in Cambridge,[50][51] including adapted student housing at [52] the university. In general, however, Hawking had am- 1.3 Marriages bivalent feelings about his role as a disability rights cham- pion: while wanting to help others, he sought to detach When Hawking was a graduate student at Cambridge, his himself from his illness and its challenges.[53] His lack of relationship with a friend of his sister, Jane Wilde, whom engagement led to some criticism.[54] he had met shortly before his diagnosis with motor neu- During a visit to the European Organisation for Nuclear rone disease, continued to develop. The couple became Research on the border of France and Switzerland in mid- engaged in October 1964[76][77] — Hawking later said 1985, Hawking contracted pneumonia, which in his con- that the engagement gave him “something to live for”[78] dition was life-threatening; he was so ill that Jane was — and the two were married on 14 July 1965.[79] asked if life support should be terminated. She refused During their first years of marriage, Jane lived in Lon- but the consequence was a tracheotomy, which would re- don during the week as she completed her degree, and quire round-the-clock nursing care, and remove what re- they travelled to the United States several times for con- mained of his speech.[55][56] The National Health Service ferences and physics-related visits. The couple had diffi- would pay for a nursing home, but Jane was determined culty finding housing that was within Hawking’s walking that he would live at home. The cost of the care was distance to the Department of Applied Mathematics and funded by an American foundation.[57][58] Nurses were Theoretical Physics (DAMTP). Jane began a PhD pro- hired for the three shifts required to provide the round- gramme, and a son, Robert, was born in May 1967.[80][81] the-clock support he required. One of those employed A daughter, Lucy, was born in 1970.[82] A third child, was Elaine Mason, who was to become Hawking’s sec- Timothy, was born in April 1979.[83] ond wife.[59] Hawking rarely discussed his illness and physical chal- For his communication, Hawking initially raised his eye- lenges, even—in a precedent set during their courtship— brows to choose letters on a spelling card.[60] But in 1986 with Jane.[84] His disabilities meant that the responsibili- he received a computer program called the “Equalizer” ties of home and family rested firmly on his wife’s increas- from Walter Woltosz, CEO of Words Plus, who had de- ingly overwhelmed shoulders, leaving him more time to veloped an earlier version of the software to help his think about physics.[85] Upon his appointment in 1974 to mother-in-law, who also suffered from ALS and had lost a year-long position at the California Institute of Technol- her ability to speak and write.[61] In a method he uses ogy in Pasadena, California, Jane proposed that a gradu- to this day, Hawking could now simply press a switch ate or post-doctoral student live with them and help with to select phrases, words or letters from a bank of about his care. Hawking accepted, and Bernard Carr travelled 2,500–3,000 that are scanned.[62][63] The program was with them as the first of many students who fulfilled this originally run on a desktop computer. However, Elaine role.[86][87] The family spent a generally happy and stim- Mason’s husband, David, a computer engineer, adapted ulating year in Pasadena.[88] a small computer and attached it to his wheelchair.[64] Released from the need to use somebody to interpret Hawking returned to Cambridge in 1975 to a new home, a his speech, Hawking commented that “I can commu- new job—as reader.