sirfrogsworth:

Stephen Hawking has passed away at the age of 76. Part of me is certainly sad, but I also want to say… “Way to go, Mr. Hawking!”

He was told that he would be dead decades ago. He basically went from doctor to doctor and they wondered, “Hey, why aren’t you dead yet?” He was just too stubborn to die young. And I think the fact that he made it to 76 is something that should be celebrated. 

I actually did a bit of research on Stephen Hawking a few months back. I wondered if he was as smart as people think. I imagine in the days to come folks might say, “he was the greatest mind of our generation.” 

He wasn’t. 

There are actually several people in his own field of study that are arguably much smarter and have contributed way more to our knowledge base of the universe. They just aren’t as famous.

But he would be the first person to tell you that. He didn’t really believe his own hype. He was smart. Way smarter than me. Way smarter than many people. And his conclusions on black hole radiation were groundbreaking. But mostly he was an above average physicist among a community of many above average physicists. And he was fine with that. He enjoyed the rivalries and would often make bets on scientific theories. He didn’t care if he was wrong. He just wanted to motivate people to find the answers. 

I think what made him amazing was his perseverance. As time went on, his mind became increasingly more trapped inside a broken, frail body. But he did everything in his power to give the gift of his mind back to the world. And he did it mostly via a muscle in his cheek. Imagine writing a book by twitching your cheek muscle thousands of times. 

He used every bit of his influence to encourage future scientists. He did his best to warn leadership of the dangers ahead. Especially about climate change. And he inspired so many people with disabilities to live their best life. He taught them you are still allowed to have dreams no matter how much your body may fail you. As much as he contributed to our understanding of the cosmos, I think his dedication to visiting kids with disabilities will be the legacy I remember him for. 

He could be cranky and insulting. He had some weird thoughts about aliens and artificial intelligence. He once threw a secret party for time travelers and announced it in the paper after it happened. (Sadly, no one attended.) He was a flawed man that did great things, defied death for decades, and inspired millions. 

So… way to go, Mr. Hawking!