The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge. - Stephen Hawking

Today we lost one of the best professors of mathematics, cosmologist, space traveller and hero in history. Stephen Hawking, born in Oxford - United Kingdom, died at the age of 76. Neil deGrasse Tyson wrote an emotional tweet which fits perfectly to Stephen. "His passing has left an intellectual vacuum in his wake. But it's not empty. Think of it as a kind of vacuum energy permeating the fabric of spacetime that defies measure. Stephen Hawking, RIP 1942-2018". 

Stephen Hawking

Stephen was a very special and intelligent person. In 1962 Stephen graduated from Oxford University with a bachelor's degree. A short time later, he moved to the Trinity Hall at the University of Cambridge, where he began his PhD on theoretical astronomy and cosmology. For the recording in Cambridge he did not have the necessary exam grades, so he decided to take part in the oral exam and passed the highest grade possible. After completing his doctorate, he became a research fellow and later a professorial fellow at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge University. In the 60s he became known by the proof of the necessary existence of singularities in general relativity under very general conditions. In 1966, Hawking received the prestigious Adams Prize from the University of Cambridge for this incredible work. He moved to the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy in Cambridge, where he remained until 1973. He then worked at the Institute of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics and began his quantum mechanical interpretation of black holes. In 1974, he developed the concept of "Hawking radiation", according to which black holes in quantum field theory (depending on the mass of the black hole more or less fast) blaze. He did amazing things even when he just graduated from university. It is out of question that this man was extremely smart. Stephen, together with James Hartle, developed access to quantum gravity and its cosmology through a Euclidean path integral formulation. "In the mathematical path integral formulation, originally developed by Richard Feynman for the quantum field theory, summed over all possible configurations of space-times ("paths"), which by integrals on the metric tensor fields, which determine the space times according to the general theory of relativity , is pictured." He worked on a lot of successful projects which makes it almost impossible to keep this article short. At the age of 22, Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with a rare form of motor Neurone disease. Doctors only gave him a few more years to live because this specific disease causes muscular atrophy and left him in a wheel chair. Hawkings illness got worse and he lost the ability to speak except through a voice synthesiser. With a life expectancy of perhaps 24 years old, Hawkings managed to turn 76. He even published his book A Brief History of Time in 1988, which has sold more than 10 million copies. 

(Information by Wikipedia)

After living 52 years longer than expected, Stephen died peacefully at his home in Cambridge in the early hours of Wednesday, according to his family. People from all over the world share their respect and love for this great man. 

He will be missed but the work he had done will never be forgotten. 

I am sure that Stephen Hawking will find peace in the place where he is right now. He had a tough life living with such a difficult disease but he still managed to create life changing information. I wish the Hawking family all the best and a lot of respect for their strength throughout all these years. 

Has someone of you ever met Stephen Hawking? 

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