Stephen Hawking: A Hero of the Stars

Stephen Hawkingwww.hawking.org.ukSupported only by two wooden crutches, Hawking limped through the doors of the office after being told he would live no longer than two years. Hawking was only 21 when he was told his life, his dreams, and his studies would never reach the potential that he hoped for. On that day, the realization came to him that his life would be full of struggles. These struggles, however, caused Hawking to become a hero and better our understanding of space and time. Stephen Hawking was a theoretical physicist who questioned our ideas of the universe. At the age of 21, Hawking was diagnosed with ALS. The effects of the disease left him paralyzed and unable to speak. Hawking did not let the disability prevent him from continuing his work. He used it to break the barriers that he faced. Throughout his life, Stephen Hawking demonstrated courage and passion despite being diagnosed with a paralyzing disease. These traits make Stephen Hawking an inspiration and a hero.

One such trait Hawking possessed was courage. This is shown by Hawking’s continuation of his work and the development of his theory through his crippling disease. At a young age, Hawking was told “he had two years to live. He lived for 55 more, dedicating his life to achieving a ‘complete understanding of the universe, why it is as it is, and why it exists at all,’ as he once said in a BBC documentary”(Resnick). Even though Hawking was given only two years to live, he used courage to find the strength to continue his work and pull himself through the pain that was brought down upon him. Hawking’s courage also gave him emotional support. His diagnosis, “threw him into a profound depression” however he still found the strength to “complete his doctorate and rise to the position of Lucasian professor of mathematics at the University of Cambridge”(Achenbach). Using courage, Hawking overcame his emotional problems to continue his discoveries. For the 76 years that he lived, Hawking demonstrated heroism by showing his courageous traits and inspiring others to be courageous in spite of their limitations.

Being unable to speak, Hawking had to use text-to-speech to communicatehttps://time.comAs well as courage, a hero must possess passion for the work he or she does. This trait led Hawking to see past his disabilities and helped him reach heroism. This was truly visible in Hawking after his voice was taken away from him. “...he communicated via a text-to-speech computer apparatus, where he had to painstakingly choose one letter at a time to respond to questions, write scientific papers or books, and give talks¨(Resnick). After losing his voice, Hawking’s passion forced him to “painstakingly choose one letter at a time” in order to communicate his scientific ideas to the world. His passion led him to sacrifice comfort in order to inspire and convey his ideas to other people. As a result of this, Hawking became “one of the planet's most renowned science popularizers, and he embraced the attention, traveling the world, meeting with presidents, visiting Antarctica and Easter Island, and flying on special ‘zero-gravity’ jet whose parabolic flight let Hawking float through the cabin as if he were in outer space”(Achenbach). Hawking’s passion for science not only led him to success, but also led him to inspire many more people about the possibilities that can happen with a strong passion and love for something. The inspiration he brought to many people and the positive frame of mind that he showed during his life made him a true hero.

Throughout his life, Hawking demonstrated courage and passion. With these heroic traits, he has shown that anyone with courage and a strong passion can be a hero. His life continues to inspire many to be heroic and break the limitations they are faced with.

Works Cited

Achenbach, Joel, and Boyce Rensberger. “Stephen Hawking, Physicist Who Came to Symbolize the Power of the Human Mind, Dies at 76.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 14 Mar. 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/stephen-hawking-physicist-who-came-to-symbolize-the-power-of-the-human-mind-dies-at-76/2018/03/14/d4298e14-273a-11e8-874b-d517e912f125_story.html?utm_term=.95786837b8c7.

Resnick, Brian. “Stephen Hawking, Scientific Hero and Icon, Has Died at 76.” Vox, Vox, 14 Mar. 2018, www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/3/14/17118626/stephen-hawking-death-life-science-black-holes.