[opportunity (OP)]

I would like to offer condolences to all those who knew and worked with Stephen Hawking. He has been the greatest scientist of our time, living a dream, as he himself said.

He has developed ideas that have provoked discussion, leading to astrophysical inquiry that without which would not have constituted the necessarily terribly vast and yet otherwise thoughtful set of ideas for us to deliberate upon. He openly admitted his search for the theory of everything, and that openness and honesty is how he believed, truly, that it is truly possible.....to Stephen Hawking.

[jeffreyH]

It is just a very sad day. In amongst the dross of the establishment and the political classes are hidden certain gems. They make a difference. We should have a celebration of his life.

[jeffreyH]

Let's stop Jeremy Hunt. That would be a lasting memorial.

[opportunity (OP)]

Who in our life time can be bolder than talking about black holes?

Who was willing to go there in the first place? Stephen Hawking.

Stephen did so much no one else was willing to present as a theory. It was like every avenue he found everyone granted. That's scientific instinct, pursuing unknowns, and he did that. Modern astrophysics is axial to his ideas. He "had" to do his work, without a doubt.

As I said...to Stephen Hawking.

I'd like to also say that, in this as a physics post, Stephen's work has really tested scientific thought, more than any other contemporary scientist. Kip Thorn may agree, without the idea of the singularities of the black hole we would not be thinking of ideas such as the holographic universe, imaginary time, and so on......we do have much to thank, much. Using the mathematics of theoretical and mathematically driven black holes "allows" us to pursue our own in-end atomic investigations, to use on our own scale, and refine.

[jeffreyH]

To be honest with you it's the man I'm thinking of and his family.

[Bored chemist]

Let's stop Jeremy Hunt. That would be a lasting memorial.

I like that idea.

[Bill S]

Let's stop Jeremy Hunt. That would be a lasting memorial.

I like that idea.

And others of his ilk!

[Zer0]

It would probably be unjust to say R.I.P. in regards to the man's spiritual & religious beliefs.

Lived long and Prospered ! seems a lot more suitable.

In a Brief History of Time
Against all Odds,
Lived Long & Prospered.
Prof. Stephen Hawking.
🌷

[Bill S]

Hawking's last paper.

https://arxiv.org/pdf/1707.07702v2.pdf

I've not tackled this yet, and a quick look at the maths makes me think I may not.  I'll have to look for a simpler version.

[Bill S]

https://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news/2018/03/hawkings-final-paper-submitted-days-death-views-exit-multiverse?et_cid=6291119&et_rid=517749120&type=cta&et_cid=6291119&et_rid=517749120&linkid=https%3a%2f%2fwww.laboratoryequipment.com%2fnews%2f2018%2f03%2fhawkings-final-paper-submitted-days-death-views-exit-multiverse%3fet_cid%3d6291119%26et_rid%3d%%subscriberid%%%26type%3dcta

This is more my style, but, of course, it doesn’t say enough.  Some people are never satisfied!

[MariusCDCFE]

Hawking was the Einstein of our time and he cannot be thanked enough for the progress he helped us humans to achieve in terms of the understanding of our universe.

Rest in peace.

[PmbPhy]

To be honest? I admired the man. He was an awesome physicist and accomplished a great deal and we owe him just like we owe a huge number of other scientists.

However, and maybe I shouldn't say this now, but people have a tendency to over rate the man. He wasn't a modern Einstein. In fact Hawking made many irritatingly false statements. I was shocked by how often he did that. As an example; he wrote an article for Time magazines issue of the man of the century - Einstein. He wrote it about GR. The problem was he got it wrong. He too didn't know what Einstein thought about GR. Most don't. However a friend of mine is an authority on Einstein and confirmed what I saw to be true the moment I started studying GR. That's not a put down on Hawking by any means. Again - i want people to see Hawking and not a false idealized version. I do that out of respect. When I assume room temperature that's the way I want people to remember me.


I'm not attempting to cut the man down. I only wish for him to be seen as the first rate scientist he was and not as the supernatural god people have the impression of him as being. Hawking was a genius. But even Hawking disliked people going around bragging about their intelligence. He was humble that way and I respect him for that and all that he is.

The good scientists want to be known for exactly who they are. Not less and not more. I think Hawking would say the same.

[Bill S]

Good post, Pete.  Human nature being what it is, we do have a tendency to elevate our heros and denigrate the "bad guys".  A bit of down-to-earth reality is never a bad thing.

In fact Hawking made many irritatingly false statements.

Couldn't much the same be said of Einstein?  Hans C. Ohanian (Einstein's Mistakes) certainly thought so; but Einstein had a disconcerting habit of being right, even when he was “wrong”. 

[PmbPhy]

Couldn't much the same be said of Einstein?  Hans C. Ohanian (Einstein's Mistakes) certainly thought so; but Einstein had a disconcerting habit of being right, even when he was “wrong”. 

Of course. I myself pointed out one of Einstein's mistakes. I was stalked as a result. That nutcase david waite stalked and flamed me for things like that for 20 years. He even went out of his way to create YouTube videos about it trying to prove he was write and I'm a crackpot. I'm sure all of you here know how wrong that is by now. In fact the nutjob is unable to back up his claims. I can not only back up anything I say rigorously but can find peer reviewed journal articles as well as textbooks which say the same thing.

Beware of david waite - he's a sick puppy.

[allania]

He was one
He was one in a million. The man with such a force of spirit and a phenomenal mind. When it seems to you that everything is wrong with you, see who is Stephan and let his life be an example for each of us. Go there to your goal

[opportunity (OP)]

I think every scientist has been shot down with a new theory above and beyond their own, historically......like "so many"....

Do I think science would be shooting itself in the foot if it found a theory of everything?

Well, I don't think that's a problem, as a theory of everything will, "will", try to maintain our "status". And "that's" a "lot of work" for anyone interested in a potential science of everything.