A great scientist overcoming great odds

He is a man who can’t talk, can’t walk, can’t write and who lives in a wheelchair — but whose mind works better than almost everyone else’s: He is Stephen Hawking.

Stephen Hawking, now 67 years old, is one of the greatest scientists who has ever lived. He has been incredibly productive while also being incredibly ill. His work and discoveries have focused on the structure and operation of the universe. His illness has been a part of his life since he was 21 years old, yet has not overtaken his greatness as a contributor to scientific knowledge.

He has written a number of wonderful books, one of the most popular titled “A Brief History of Time.â€� It was a bestseller for 237 weeks! In this book you will find his cosmological ideas about space, time,  black holes and the universe, all explained easily and yet in a way that makes it fascinating even for a reader who is not a scientist. When you read this book, you might be amazed at how well he explained the exciting and often complicated subjects and theories that he presented. His work has been an important factor in the development of the science of cosmology.

Hawking has given many lectures in various countries and he has won numerous awards in the field of science and technology. He now holds the position of Lucasian Professor of  Mathematics in the department of applied mathematics and theoretical physics at Cambridge University, a position formerly held  by the genius of another era, Sir Isaac Newton.

The life he has lived is absolutely unusual and incredible. The fact that he is still alive, and still active in thinking and imagining and creating and teaching, after 67 years, is incredible in itself. Let’s look at the life he has lived.

Stephen William Hawking was born in England on Jan. 8, 1942. When he was 8 years old, his family moved to St. Albans, about 20 miles north of London, and he went to school there. He then went on to University College in Oxford, where his father had been a student. Stephen wanted to study mathematics but it was not available at University College. So, he studied physics, and after three years he was awarded a first-class honors degree in natural science. His interest in cosmology began and he went to Cambridge to do research in that field. He received a Ph.D. there. Professor Hawking has 12 honorary degrees, is a fellow of The Royal Society and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.

He has worked extensively on the basic laws that govern the universe. One of his works showed that Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity implied that space and time would have a beginning in the Big Bang and an end in black holes. He also discovered that black holes should emit radiation of energy and eventually evaporate and disappear. His work resulted in many publications. In addition to “A Brief History of Time,� he wrote “Baby Universes� and in 2001 a book titled “The Universe in a Nutshell.�

Now, let’s look at his health. As a child, Hawking suffered several illnesses that kept him in bed for weeks. In his third year at Oxford he noticed that he felt clumsy and he fell over several times. In the following year, while he was at Cambridge, his father noticed his ailments and referred him to his family doctor. By the age of 21, after going into the hospital for tests, injections and inspections, his doctors revealed to him that they expected his ailment to continue and get worse.

“I realized that I had an incurable disease and that I was likely to die within a few years. I was a loose end, not knowing what would happen to me. The disease was known as ALS, meaning amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Most people with ALS do not live long. But somehow or other I decided to continue to live and add knowledge to my brain in science and technology and cosmology,â€� Hawking wrote.  

Hawking began to make progress with his research and he became engaged to a young girl named Jane Wilde, now his ex-wife, whom he met about the time his condition was diagnosed. It changed his life and he got married. He and his wife had three children soon after marriage and they now have one grandchild. Jane and Stephen separated in 1991. Hawking married his nurse, Elaine Mason, in 1995. In October 2006, Hawking filed for divorce from Elaine.

Until the age of 22, Hawking was able to feed himself and get in and out of bed, but things became much more difficult after his marriage. In 1985 he caught pneumonia and had a tracheotomy operation, which resulted in eliminating his ability to talk. So now he could not walk, he could not talk, he could not write and he sat in a chair with his head leaning backward. But some good things happened as well.  Walt Woltosz, a computer expert in California, heard of Hawking’s plight and he designed and sent him a computer program he had written, along with a new computer. It changed Hawking’s life!  

Then David Mason from Cambridge set up a small portable computer in his wheelchair. It allowed him to communicate at a rate of 15 words a minute. As a result of this computer, he has been able to give scientific talks, write books and enjoy his life despite his ongoing illness.

Hawking has had motor neuron disease for most of his adult life. But because of his determination, it has not prevented him from having a family life, as well as being extraordinarily successful in his work. He always sends his thanks to his family, as well as many other groups and organizations. I continue to be amazed and happy about Hawking’s life and accomplishments. He still travels and I think he could live to be 100!

Sidney X. Shore is a scientist, inventor and educator who lives in Sharon and holds more than 30 U.S. patents.