Visionary physicist Stephen Hawking died peacefully at his home in Cambridge in the early hours of Wednesday. Famed for his work with black holes and relativity, the British scientist wrote several popular science books including 'A Brief History of Time'. Hawking was the first to set out a theory of cosmology as a union of relativity and quantum mechanics. He also discovered that black holes leak energy and fade to nothing. The phenomenon was later named the Hawking Radiation.
He gained immense popularity across his field, appearing in several TV shows. A film was also made charting his fame and relationship with first wife Jane. Oscar winner actor Eddie Redmayne, who portrayed the theoretical physicist in 'The Theory of Everything', posted a tribute for him saying, “We have lost a truly beautiful mind, an astonishing scientist and the funniest man I have ever had the pleasure to meet.” Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who portrayed him in a BBC drama, said, “a true inspiration for me and for millions around the world.”
At the age of 22, Hawking was diagnosed with a rare form of motor neurone disease, and given only a few years to live. His illness left him in a wheelchair, and largely unable to speak except through a voice synthesiser. Hawking's children Lucy, Robert, and Tim released a statement saying, “We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today.” The news of Hawking's death triggered a series of actions. His book has now shot to the top of the Amazon Best Sellers list, and the Motor Neurone Disease Association, of which Hawking was a patron, reported that its website crashed because of a surge of donations.
