Stephen Hawking Made His Mark, Which We'll See Going Forward

[MineralMan]

Last edited Thu Mar 15, 2018, 10:53 AM - Edit history (1)

Indeed he did. Despite horrifying health challenges, he worked his entire life on the essential questions of Cosmology. His brilliant thinking has deeply influenced other cosmologists, and the search for answers continues. Now, he has died, but he has left a legacy behind that transcends his death, and ensures that he will be remembered for a very long time as a pioneer, along with Einstein, whose theorems stand beside Hawking's.

Stephen Hawking was an atheist. He searched for natural, organic explanations of things. He did not believe that any sort of supernatural entity spoke the universe into existence. He did not believe that any such entities exist. He made great strides in understanding the origins of the universe we know, and speculated about other universes we can never know. He did the math. He considered many alternatives.

Following his death, some moronic people attempted to belittle him, due to his atheism. I've read a number of statements by people who have no intellectual curiosity, but who are happy to condemn Stephen Hawking to a Hell he would have scoffed at. Others have used the occasion of his death to create humorous cartoons or jokes. Hawking liked jokes, and would have laughed at the very jokes people are making about his meeting with a deity he didn't believe existed.

Hawking's death was, to him, simply the end of his time in the universe. Like most atheists, he believed that was enough. He lived, he worked, and he added understanding to the body of human knowledge. I have no doubt that he died knowing that he had contributed everything he was able to produce. He lives on in our memories, and in the mathematical legacy that will inspire future cosmologists to get even closer to that moment in time when the universe began.

His name will live on. His theories will live on. They will be the basis for more discoveries.

Thanks for all you did, Stephen. Well done!

[PatentlyDemocratic]

1. Well said!

The hateful posts I’ve seen elsewhere (not DU) show the insecurity and ugliness of many in our society. He was a brilliant man who influenced many and helped advance scientific thought.

[MineralMan]

2. Stupidity Is Always Ugly.

We're seeing a lot of it these days, I'm afraid.

[thbobby]

3. Brief History of Time

is a classic. I have read it several times and still learn more with each reading. I also have lectures by him. Brilliant.

An amazing man. He lived through health problems that most of us can barely imagine. Yet he accomplished so much. Those that belittle him are haters, often cloaked in the trappings of the religion. Not a new phenomenon nor one likely to end.

I know many religious people I respect and admire. Same with atheist people. I also have encountered many assholes. Religious, atheist, tall, short, gay, Muslim or any other groups one can imagine are the same. Some are assholes and most are good people. Bell curve sort of deal. Stephen was in a very special place on the bell curve, no matter what trait we consider.

[MineralMan]

4. Indeed! Just three days ago, I watched a video on cosmology

that featured Hawking and others. I can just barely keep up with that field. I keep trying, but my intellect is not sufficient to totally understand math on that level.

I read "A Brief History of Time." It's on my bookshelf. I will reread it shortly, and try to take new information from it.

We owe Stephen Hawking a debt. Learning is how we can repay that debt.