Update: March 14, 2018 at 9:15 a.m.
Wednesday morning, news broke that Stephen Hawking passed away at his home in Cambridge. He was 76. A brilliant mind and force, Hawking was famously pithy. As we celebrate his achievements, let us reflect on his most affecting quotes.
Original story follows.
Stephen Hawking was a true inspiration to millions not only for his many achievements, but also for his determination. Hawking was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a rare form of motor neurone disease, at the age of 21 with doctors initially only giving him a few years to live. However, he thwarted all expectations and went on to make major breakthroughs in the study of phenomena such as black holes and cosmic inflations. His bestselling account of the origins of the universe, A Brief History of Time went on to become a contemporary classic.
Stephen Hawking's life was one of triumph, even being celebrated in the film, The Theory of Everything, starring Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones.
Hawking was a remarkable man and his influence on modern science is undeniable. He was brilliant. He exceeded all expectations with regard to his life expectancy and quality of life. Ahead, in honour of his life, 15 of his most inspirational quotes.
Listening to a sound clip of this quote is even more powerful than reading it.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
In a 2005 interview with The Guardian, Hawking responded to a question about whether he gets "surges of rage" about his disability. "It is a waste of time to be angry about my disability," he told the paper. "One has to get on with life and I haven't done badly."
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When Diane Sawyer spoke with Hawking in 2010, he shared this perspective on love. He said it's one of the most important things he's taught his children.
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He also told Sawyer he's instilled a solid work ethic in his children.
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When a reporter for The New York Times interviewed Hawking in 2004, she remarked at how cheerful he seemed. He responded with this bit of wisdom.
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In that same interview, this is how Hawking responded when the reporter asked him his I.Q. "I have no idea," he said.
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Hawking shared this advice in a speech to Cambridge University graduates in 2012. "It matters that you don't just give up," he added.
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He added this to his speech to the Cambridge grads.
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In a 2011 interview with The Guardian, Hawking addressed how he feels about his own mortality. "I have lived with the prospect of an early death for the last 49 years," he said. "I'm not afraid of death, but I'm in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first."
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Hawking shared this sentiment when he opened the Paralympic Games in 2012. "We are all different," he said. "What is important is that we have the ability to create."
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In this quote from his book The Grand Design, Hawking is likely speaking to the ideas of space and time. But, it also works when you apply it to your personal life.
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Something to think about on those days when you're feeling lacklustre.
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Hawking advised this in a 2005 interview with The Guardian. "What I do is keep thinking about the problem, but work on something else. Sometimes it is years before I see the way forward. In the case of information loss and black holes, it was 29 years."
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"If they could then there'd be nothing to stop the whole universe from descending into chaos," he wrote in the Daily Mail.
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“My daughter, Lucy, knew one of the scriptwriters for The Simpsons. He said he would like to write an episode involving me," Hawking explained of his guest starring on the animated show. "I accepted immediately because it would be fun, and because The Simpsons is the best thing on American television.”
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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