In the days to come, you are going to hear a lot about Stephen Hawking and the news of his passing. I want to write about it here and as a tribute to him explain how his life affected my own.

How Stephen Hawking Changed Me

I know Stephen Hawking is a renown atheist, but that never really mattered to me. What was important is how this man contributed and sacrificed for the advancement of our knowledge of the universe. I believe the origins of the universe matter to us all regardless of religion or creed. It is a selfless cause IMHO to search and understand our origins and what makes us us.

As a Christian, it is important to me to know these things because I believe it helps in my understanding of God. Even something so simple as the polarity of silicon and how transistors function is vital to me and affects me as a programmer, so for this very reason the origins of the universe are important to me as well. Now, in the wake of this news, I feel as though there has been a great loss. Still, I know that he has left a legacy at the University of Cambridge of those that will continue his work. There are those that he has touched that will continue on and carry the impact of his conviction. The fool I would have to be to not recognize this man's achievements and the his greatness.

Myself for example. I was impacted by "A Brief History of Time". Many were. For some, it is what led them to pursue physics. For me, it fanned a flame to pursue to the end of knowing.