Stephen Hawking : his life and work : the story and science of one of the most extraordinary, celebrated, and courageous figures of our time

Stephen Hawking is one of the most remarkable figures of our time - a Cambridge genius who has earned international celebrity and become an inspiration to those who have witnessed his triumph over disability. This is Hawking's life story by Kitty Ferguson, written with help from Hawking himself and his close associates. Updated and substantially expanded from her earlier book of 1992, this carefully researched, up to the minute biography gives a rich picture of Hawking's life - his childhood, the heartrending beginning of his struggle with motor neurone disease, his ever-increasing international fame, and his long personal battle for survival in pursuit of a scientific understanding of the universe. Throughout Kitty Ferguson also summarizes and explains the cutting-edge science in which Hawking has been engaged.Stephen Hawking is written with the clarity and simplicity for which all Kitty Ferguson's books have been praised. The result is a captivating account of an extraordinary life and mind. In 1963 Stephen Hawking Was Given Two Years To Live. Defying All The Odds, He Died In March 2018 At Age Seventy-six As The Most Celebrated Scientist In The World. This Carefully Researched, And Now Newly Updated, Up-to-the-minute Biography And Tribute Gives A Rich Picture Of Hawking's Remarkable Life – His Childhood, The Heart-rending Beginning Of His Struggle With Motor Neurone Disease, His Ever-increasing International Fame, And His Long Personal Battle For Survival In Pursuit Of A Scientific Understanding Of The Universe. From More Recent Years, Kitty Ferguson Describes His Inspiring Leadership At The London Paralympic Games, The Release Of The Film The Theory Of Everything, His Continuing Work On Black Holes And The Origin Of The Universe, The Discovery Of ‘supertranslations’, And The Astounding ‘starshot’ Program. Here Also Are His Intense Concern For The Future Of The Earth And His Use Of His Celebrity To Fight For Environmental And Humanitarian Causes, And, Finally, A Ground-breaking Paper He Was Working On At The Time Of His Death, In Which He Took Issue With Some Of His Own Earlier Theories. Throughout, Ferguson Summarizes And Explains The Cutting-edge Science In Which Hawking Was Engaged. In March, 2018, Tributes Poured In From Around The World And Friends And Strangers Hawking Had Inspired Gathered For His Funeral In Cambridge And The Interment Of His Ashes In Westminster Abbey. Ferguson Offers Vivid First-hand Descriptions Of Both These Occasions And, In An Amazing And Revealing Tribute, Assesses Hawking’s Legacy In And Out Of Science. Part I: 1942–1975 1. ‘The quest for a Theory of Everything’ 2. ‘Our goal is nothing less than a complete description of the universe we live in’ 3. ‘Equal to anything!’ 4. ‘The realization that I had an incurable disease, that was likely to kill me in a few years, was a bit of a shock’ 5. ‘The big question was, was there a beginning or not?’ 6. ‘There is a singularity in our past’ Part II: 1970–1990 7. ‘These people must think we are used to an astronomical standard of living’ 8. ‘Scientists usually assume there is a unique link between the past and the future, cause and effect. If information is lost, this link does not exist’ 9. ‘The odds against a universe that has produced life like ours are immense’ 10. ‘In all my travels, I have not managed to fall off the edge of the world’ 11. ‘It’s turtles all the way down’ 12. ‘The field of baby universes is in its infancy’ Part III: 1990–2000 13. ‘Is the end in sight for theoretical physics?’ 14. ‘Between film roles I enjoy solving physics problems’ 15. ‘I think we have a good chance of avoiding both Armageddon and a new Dark Age’ 16. ‘It seems clear to me’ Part IV: 2000–2011 17. ‘An expanding horizon of possibilities’ 18. ‘Grandad has wheels’ 19. ‘I’ve always gone in a somewhat different direction’ 20. ‘My name is Stephen Hawking: physicist, cosmologist and something of a dreamer’ Picture Section Glossary References Suggested Further Reading Bibliography Picture Acknowledgements Index In 1963 Stephen Hawking was given two years to live. Defying all the odds, he died in March 2018 at age seventy-six as the most celebrated scientist in the world. This carefully researched and updated biography and tribute gives a rich picture of Hawking's remarkable life - his childhood, the heart-rending beginning of his struggle with motor neurone disease, his ever-increasing international fame, and his long personal battle for survival in pursuit of a scientific understanding of the universe. From more recent years, Kitty Ferguson describes his inspiring leadership at the London Paralympic Games, the release of the film The Theory of Everything , his continuing work on black holes and the origin of the universe, the discovery of 'supertranslations', and the astounding 'Starshot' program. Here also are his intense concern for the future of the Earth and his use of his celebrity to fight for environmental and humanitarian causes, and, finally, a ground-breaking paper he was working on at the time of his death, in which he took issue with some of his own earlier theories. Throughout, Ferguson summarizes and explains the cutting-edge science in which Hawking was engaged and offers vivid first-hand descriptions of his funeral in Cambridge and the interment of his ashes in Westminster Abbey. This is an amazing and revealing tribute, assessing Hawking's legacy in and out of science. This is the story of one of the most remarkable figures of our time - Professor Stephen Hawking, the Cambridge genius who has earned an international reputation as the most brilliant theoretical physicist since Einstein. This is not quite a biography; it is more the story of one man's quest to find the 'Theory of Everything'. Stephen Hawking's life and work have produced a multitude of amazing paradoxes: beginnings may be endings, two great scientific theories taken together may seem to give us nonsense, empty space isn't empty, and black holes aren't black. Cruel circumstances can lead to happiness, and fame and success may not. A man whose appearance inspires shock and pity takes us to where the boundaries of space and time ought to be - but are not. Substantially updated with new information drawn from interviews with Professor Hawking regarding his theories and personal life, together with fascinating new photographs from his early life to the present day, this is an insightful and captivating account of an extraordinary life and a brilliant mind Stephen Hawking is one of the most remarkable figures of our time - a Cambridge genius who has earned international celebrity and become an inspiration to those who have witnessed his triumph over disability. This is Hawking's life story by Kitty Ferguson, written with help from Hawking himself and his close associates. Updated and substantially expanded from her earlier book of 1992, this carefully researched, up to the minute biography gives a rich picture of Hawking's life - his childhood, the heartrending beginning of his struggle with motor neurone disease, his ever-increasing international fame, and his long personal battle for survival in pursuit of a scientific understanding of the universe. Throughout Kitty Ferguson also summarizes and explains the cutting-edge science in which Hawking has been engaged. Stephen Hawking is written with the clarity and simplicity for which all Kitty Ferguson's books have been praised. The result is a captivating account of an extraordinary life and mind Stephen Hawking is one of the most remarkable figures of our age--bestselling author of A Brief History of Time, celebrated theoretical physicist, and an inspiration as he exhibits grace, dignity, and courage while coping with devastating disability. With race access to Hawking, including childhood photos and in-depth research, award-winning author Kitty Ferguson has created a rich and comprehensive picture of Hawking's life: his childhood; the heartbreaking ALS diagnosis when he was a first-year graduate student; his long personal battle for survival in pursuit of a scientific understanding of the universe; and his rise to international fame. Ferguson uses her gift for translating the language of theoretical physics into the language of the rest of us to make Hawking's scientific work accessible. Stephen Hawking is an insightful, absorbing, and definitive account of an extraordinary life and a brilliant mind This is not quite a biography; it is more the story of one man's quest to find the 'Theory of Everything'. Stephen Hawking's life and work have produced a multitude of amazing paradoxes: beginnings may be endings, two great scientific theories taken together may seem to give us nonsense, empty space isn't empty, and black holes aren't black. Cruel circumstances can lead to happiness, and fame and success may not. A man whose appearance inspires shock and pity takes us to where the boundaries of space and time ought to be - but are not. Substantially expanded and updated with new information drawn from interviews with Professor Hawking regarding his theories and personal life, together with fascinating new photographs from his early life to the present day, this is an insightful and captivating account of an extraordinary life and a brilliant mind Stephen Hawking is one of the most remarkable figures of our time, a Cambridge genius who has earned international celebrity as a brilliant theoretical physicist and become an inspiration and revelation to those who have witnessed his courageous triumph over disability. This is Hawking's life story by Kitty Ferguson, who has had special help from Hawking himself and his close associates and who has a gift for translating the language of theoretical physics for non-scientists. Twenty years ago, Kitty Ferguson's Stephen Hawking: Quest for a Theory of Everything became a Sunday Times bestseller and took the world by storm. She now returns to the subject to transform that short book into a hugely expanded, carefully researched, up-to-the-minute biography. Presents the life of the British theoretical physicist who has taken the study of cosmology farther than most in his field, despite the need for a wheelchair and computer in order to travel and communicate.