Stephen Hawking hammered out a creative theory on the universe while fighting against an intractable disease. He also served as a preacher of science. His tremendous, inquisitive mind must be inherited.
Dr. Hawking of Britain, known as a physics genius in a wheelchair, has died at the age of 76.
He released hypotheses one after another that changed the way the universe is viewed. Representative of this is a theory he unveiled in the 1960s claiming "the universe has a beginning." This served as an opportunity to wrap up the controversies on miscellaneous space theories.
Regarding black holes, which are mysterious astronomical objects, he advocated a new theory that they radiate heat. Although many researchers denounced it as impossible, his well-thought-out theory on black holes is acclaimed today.
This is an achievement left behind by him.
Based on these scholastic achievements, "A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes" was published in 1988. The Japanese title was "Hokingu Uchu o Kataru."
The book's content is not easy to understand, but it became a bestseller, with more than 10 million copies sold the world over. Despite the fact that his papers are filled with mathematical formulas, he explained his theories in his books in detail with scant use of them. This must have evoked intellectual curiosity among a wide range of readers.
Since then, many people have read his books whenever they have been published. Coauthored with his daughter Lucy, he published a space adventure book for children.
Promote science better
Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) when he was 21. As his muscle strength gradually declined, he lost the ability to move and speak. With his slim body sunken into a wheelchair, he put together words by manipulating a synthetic speech sound system. Every word was very heavy with meaning.
Dr. Hawking repeatedly said he wanted to share with other people the passion and excitement of the quest for the rules of the universe. Such a pure thought could be one of the reasons why his fan base expanded across the world.
Not merely writing papers, but conveying the significance of research to the general public -- many scientists should hone their ability to communicate like Hawking did, so that the importance of science becomes widely known.
The application and industrial use of science and research has become increasingly important in recent years. To sustain the basic research conducted by researchers including Dr. Hawking, efforts to obtain understanding from a wide range of sectors will be further called for.
Hawking continued to show an interest in not only his specialist field, but also in important subjects that involve science and technology -- including global warming and artificial intelligence -- and expressed his opinions frankly.
He also continued to send messages to disabled people. At the 2012 London Paralympics, he stressed the importance of meeting challenges, saying, "However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at." Indeed, these are words every one of us should bear in mind.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 17, 2018)
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