Theoretical physicist, born in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK. He studied at Oxford, then spent his career in Cambridge, holding a chair there from 1977. His work has been concerned with cosmology in a variety of aspects, dealing with black holes, singularities, and the big bang theory of the origin of the universe. His popular writing is also notable, especially A Brief History of Time (1988). The achievement is all the more noteworthy because since the 1960s he has suffered from a neuromotor disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, causing extreme physical disability; he communicates with the aid of a computer. He was made a Companion of Honour in 1989.

Steven William Hawking was born on January 8, 1942 (300 years after the death of Galileo) in Oxford, England. His parents' house was in north London, but during the second world war Oxford was considered a safer place to raise a family.

When he was eight, his family moved to St Albans, a town about 20 miles north of London. At eleven Stephen went to St Albans School, and then on to University College, Oxford, his father's old college. Stephen wanted to do Mathematics, although his father would have preferred medicine. Mathematics was not available at University College, so he did Physics instead. After three years (at about age 20) and not very much work he was awarded a first class honours degree in Natural Science.

After receiving his degree, Steven went to Cambridge, to do research on Cosmology, there being no-one working in that area in Oxford at the time. His supervisor was Denis Sciama, although he had hoped to get Fred Hoyle who was working in Cambridge. After gaining his Ph.D. he became first a Research Fellow, and later on a Professorial Fellow at Gonville and Caius College.

After leaving the Institute of Astronomy in 1973 Stephen went to the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, and since 1979 has held the post of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics. The chair was founded in 1663 with money left in the will of the Reverend Henry Lucas, who had been the Member of Parliament for the University. It was first held by Isaac Barrow, and then in 1669 by Isaac Newton.

Stephen's Disability

While studying at Oxford, Stephen noticed that he was becoming rather clumsy during his first year. When he returned home one Christmas 1962, his mother persuaded him to go to the doctor. In 1963, he was diagnosed with ALS (Ameliotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or best known as Lou Gehrig's disease). This disease is progressive and slowly affects the nerves supplying all the muscles in the body.

When asked recently about his disability and other questions surrounding it he replied: "People are fascinated by the contrast between my very limited physical powers, and the vast nature of the universe I deal with. I'm the archetype of a disabled genius, or should I say a physically challenged genius, to be politically correct. At least I'm obviously physically challenged. Whether I'm a genius is more open to doubt. I don't pay much attention to how journalists describe me. I know it is media hype. They need an Einstein like figure to appeal to. But for them to compare me to Einstein is ridiculous. They don't understand either Einstein's work, or mine. Have never heard anyone say isn't it a shame that such a brilliant mind is trapped inside a useless body. If I did, I would treat it with the contempt it deserved. I generally find that even people that haven't heard of me treat me well and are helpful. I'm not sensitive, if occasionally they patronize me, I just feel it's their mistake. Being disabled, or physically challenged, makes no difference to how my scientific colleagues treat me apart from practical matters like waiting while I write what I want to say."

Stephen's Research

Origin and Fate of the Universe

In the late 1960's, Stephen proved that if general relativity is true and the Universe is expanding, an irregularity must have occurred at the birth of the Universe.

The theory of relativity does, however, force us to change fundamentally our ideas of space and time. We must accept that time is not completely separate from and independent of space, but is combined with it to form an object called space-time.

- Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time

Dr. Hawking has also worked on the basic laws that govern the universe. With Rodger Penrose, he showed that Einstein's General Theory of Relativity implied space and time would have had a beginning in the Big Bang, and an end in black holes. Another speculation is that the universe has no edge or boundary in imaginary time. This would imply that the way the universe began was completely determined by the laws of science.

... if one sets aside for a moment the rotation of the earth and its orbit round the sun, one could say that the earth was at rest and that a train on it was travelling north at ninety miles per hour or that the train was at rest and the earth was moving south at ninety miles per hour.

- Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time

These results indicated it was necessary to unify General Relativity with Quantum Theory, the other great scientific development of the first half of the 20th century. One consequence of such a unification that he discovered was that black holes should not be completely black, but it should emit radiation and eventually evaporate and disappear.

Newton, and others, should have realized that a static universe would soon start to contract under the influence of gravity. But suppose instead the universe is expanding. If it was expanding fairly slowly, the force of gravity would cause it eventually to stop expanding and then to start contracting. However, if it was expanding at more than a certain critical rate, gravity would never be strong enough to stop it, and the universe would continue to expand forever.

- Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time

Dr. Hawking is currently working on a new theory called Open Inflation. This theory postulates that the Universe will expand forever to infinity, explains how matter was created, and resolves Einstein's equations of gravity.

Black Holes aren't Completely Black

It [quantum mechanics] governs the behavior of transistors and integrated circuits, which are essential components of electronic devices such as televisions and computers, and is also the basis of modern chemistry and biology. The only areas of physical science into which quantum mechanics has not yet been properly incorporated are gravity and the large-scale structure of the universe.

- Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time

In 1974, he first recognized a truly remarkable property of black holes, objects from which nothing was supposed to be able to escape. By taking into account quantum mechanics, he was able to show that black holes can radiate energy as particles are created in their vicinity.

Publications, Degrees, and Awards

Dr. Hawking has several books, but his most prestigious feat may be A Brief History of Time, which was published in 1988.

His many publications include The Large Scale Structure of Spacetime with G F R Ellis, General Relativity: An Einstein Centenary Survey, with W Israel, and 300 Years of Gravity, with W Israel.

Professor Hawking has twelve honorary degrees, was awarded the CBE in 1982, and was made a Companion of Honour in 1989. He is the recipient of many awards, medals and prizes and is a Fellow of The Royal Society and a Member of the US National Academy of Sciences.

Stephen Hawking continues to combine family life (he has three children and one grandchild), and his research into theoretical physics together with an extensive programme of travel and public lectures.