Skip to main content

What hardships did Stephen Hawking face?

Stephen Hawking is widely accepted as one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists of all time. His early work gave us our best understanding of the make-up of black holes; by defining the heat loss from the edges of black holes—dubbed Hawking Radiation—and shows how black holes degrade over time. 

One of the difficulties Hawking had to overcome was his own brilliance and the laxness that came with being an undergraduate who feels he or she already knows everything. As an undergraduate, Hawking did not have to study or work very hard to understand concepts, causing him to be bored much of the time. He was also younger than many of his classmates, as he began his undergraduate program at 17. He combated this by joining the school rowing team as their coxswain, which gave him an opportunity to be 'one of the boys'.


The biggest challenge Hawking has dealt with is his degenerative nerve disorder ALS. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is where the neurons that control motor functions, or movement, break down and the sufferer loses all motor abilities. It has no cure and those diagnosed usually have short life spans after contracting the disease. When Hawking was diagnosed, he was given two years to live and fell into a depression. He felt there was little reason to continue his work and fell behind in his research. Thanks to coaxing from his advisers at Cambridge, Hawking continued his work, received his Doctorate degree, and went on to become a Fellow at the university. 


Stephen Hawking continues to thrive to this day, far outliving his original prognosis. He continues to give lectures, write books such as A Brief History of Time, and further the work in his field. Hawking's most recent work has been to pioneer a search for extraterrestrial life in a program called Breakthrough Initiatives. Stephen Hawking is a wonderful example that no matter what hand you may have been dealt, the human ability to overcome obstacles should never be disregarded and great feats and works can still be accomplished no matter the circumstance. 

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...