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Post by grampa on Mar 14, 2018 9:31:42 GMT
I didn't realise he was so old. Caused a bit of a stir when he was here (presumably on holiday) a few years ago: www.bbc.co.uk/news |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2018 10:03:59 GMT
Good innings for one so afflicted, at least. A giant.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Mar 14, 2018 10:35:56 GMT
Sad but inspirational that someone diagnosed with a terminal illness so young went on to defy the odds and achieve so much.
You just know some wag is already preparing the eBay advert for one slightly used wheelchair with voice control.
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Post by Roadrunner on Mar 14, 2018 11:08:56 GMT
"... remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet". The world is a poorer place without him.
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Post by Big Blue on Mar 14, 2018 11:16:12 GMT
RIP.
The best thing I ever heard him say was "Time travel will never be possible. If it were then those from the future would have returned to demonstrate." Shows he had more common sense than most scientists.
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Post by Blarno on Mar 14, 2018 11:49:41 GMT
Sat navs around the country have already held a minute's silence.
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Post by grampa on Mar 14, 2018 13:00:09 GMT
Good innings for one so afflicted, at least. 52 years beyond his life expectancy apparently. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2018 13:11:36 GMT
MND, average 5 years, usually less. I do take issue with the no time travel statement. If it were possible, it would be forbidden to come back and tell us.
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Post by Tim on Mar 14, 2018 13:12:24 GMT
He survived a lot longer than expected.
I think he made a lot of people more interested in science of all types.
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Post by LandieMark on Mar 14, 2018 13:31:05 GMT
It’s rare to say, but that was someone who was truly inspirational.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Mar 14, 2018 13:49:45 GMT
He survived a lot longer than expected. I think he made a lot of people more interested in science of all types. Indeed, his book A Brief History of Time has sold over 10 million copies - unheard of for a book about physics. At least a million of those have been read too. |
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Post by Alex on Mar 14, 2018 14:43:48 GMT
He was a true inspiration and also incredibly self deprecating and not at all aloof about his knowledge and his work. There’s been some great tributes to him on the radio today from Brian Cox, Chris Lintott and many others.
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Post by PG on Mar 14, 2018 16:26:02 GMT
Maybe at last somebody truly worthy of having a statue on the fourth plinth at Trafalgar Square? Complete with wheelchair of course.
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Post by Blarno on Mar 14, 2018 16:36:05 GMT
Why was he never knighted?
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Mar 14, 2018 16:39:10 GMT
Why was he never knighted? He was offered one in 90s but he declined it, citing the lack of investment by the UK Government in science as the reason. |
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Post by racingteatray on Mar 14, 2018 16:55:24 GMT
A truly inspiring man, who was all the better for being no saint.
Who else here has read A Brief History of Time?
I got given a copy many years ago by my grandmother (who had herself read and enjoyed it) and finally got around to reading it when I was first in Moscow and didn't know many people (ie had lots of spare evenings for reading). I thought it was absolutely brilliant, even if I did have to re-read some pages, and when I got to the end of a book written (at the time) nearly 20 years earlier I immediately wanted to know what he'd discovered in the intervening years.
I must get around to reading his later book, The Universe In A Nutshell.
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Post by Alex on Mar 14, 2018 17:09:48 GMT
Maybe at last somebody truly worthy of having a statue on the fourth plinth at Trafalgar Square? Complete with wheelchair of course. I reckon they’re reserving it for the Queen. We’ve got a copy of A Breif History of Time but I’ve not read it. My wife having studied for a Masters Degree in Physics has of course read it several times. |
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Post by PR on Mar 14, 2018 17:56:10 GMT
The word genius is bandied around in tributes for the recently deceased but in this case it's wholly accurate, if not something of an understatement.
I glanced earlier at the comments beneath the BBC article announcing his death and was quite staggered that the first two expressed views that can be summed up as 'he said he didn't believe in god so he's now rotting in hell'. I'd like to imagine that, as the world's foremost scientist who proved theory with evidence and facts, he would be amused by the irony of self righteous nutbag lunatics condemning him to eternal damnation on the basis of some stone age fairy tales.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2018 18:14:16 GMT
?
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Post by racingteatray on Mar 14, 2018 18:58:04 GMT
RIP. The best thing I ever heard him say was "Time travel will never be possible. If it were then those from the future would have returned to demonstrate." Shows he had more common sense than most scientists. How does someone travel back from the future when the future hasn't happened yet? More importantly...will they manage to take off... |
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Post by Andy C on Mar 14, 2018 20:20:45 GMT
RIP . A true icon
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2018 21:09:09 GMT
Actually, how big will the rubber band motors have to be?
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Post by Stuntman on Mar 14, 2018 21:28:38 GMT
I'd like to imagine that, as the world's foremost scientist who proved theory with evidence and facts, he would be amused by the irony of self righteous nutbag lunatics condemning him to eternal damnation on the basis of some stone age fairy tales. Welcome back, Piers. Nice turn of phrase! I think I've posted about this before, but I would occasionally see Stephen Hawking out and about in Cambridge when I was up there 30 years ago. Back then I don't think he he was particularly well-known outside his own subject community. A Brief History Of Time came out when I was up there. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2018 8:55:44 GMT
A truly inspiring man, who was all the better for being no saint. Who else here has read A Brief History of Time? I got given a copy many years ago by my grandmother (who had herself read and enjoyed it) and finally got around to reading it when I was first in Moscow and didn't know many people (ie had lots of spare evenings for reading). I thought it was absolutely brilliant, even if I did have to re-read some pages, and when I got to the end of a book written (at the time) nearly 20 years earlier I immediately wanted to know what he'd discovered in the intervening years. I must get around to reading his later book, The Universe In A Nutshell. I've read BHOT twice. Never did get my head around string theory, though... |
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Post by Blarno on Mar 15, 2018 9:11:22 GMT
Apparently he liked to run over the toes of people he didn't like, Prince Charles being one of them.
Also apparently, he deeply regretted not being able to run over Thatcher's toes.
Legend.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Mar 15, 2018 9:29:28 GMT
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Post by racingteatray on Mar 15, 2018 12:07:22 GMT
What better epitaph could the man have!?! |
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Mar 15, 2018 12:41:50 GMT
What better epitaph could the man have!?! I felt he struggled with the nuances of the accent. |
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Post by scouse on Mar 15, 2018 14:55:24 GMT
Why was he never knighted? Couldn't take a knee? |
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Post by grampa on Mar 16, 2018 13:38:30 GMT
I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that he declined an honour - not sure if it was a knighthood or not.
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