Stephen Hawking
Stephen William Hawking CH CBE FRS FRSA (/ˈstiːvən ˈhɔːkɪŋ/ ( listen); 8 January 1942 – 14 March 2018) was a theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author, and Research Director of the Center for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge. His scientific work includes a collaboration with Roger Penrose on the gravitational singularity theorem within the framework of general relativity and the theoretical predictions that black holes give off radiation (commonly called Hawking radiation). Hawking was the first to explain the theory of cosmology, which was explained by combining the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. He is a proponent of a multiworld interpretation of the theory of quantum mechanics. Hawking is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), life member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian award. In 2002, Hawking was ranked 25th in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. He served as the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge from 1979 to 2009. He is known as the author of popular science books discussing his own theory and cosmology in general. His book, A Brief History of Time, was on the Sunday Times UK bestseller list for 237 weeks. Hawking developed a rare, early, and debilitating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (also known as motor neurone disease or Lou Gehrig's disease) that slowly paralyzed his body over decades. but throughout his life, he communicated using a single cheek muscle connected to the speech apparatus. Hawking died March 14, 2018 at the age of 76.
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