Stephen William Hawking, was not one of those precocious children who was destined to be famous from the word go. Rather, Hawking didn't excel in school as a child. It was only after he entered college that he started enjoying his subject and got immersed in his studies. While pursuing his PhD in cosmology at the University of Cambridge, Hawking was diagnosed with the rare ALS disorder. By then he had already noticed that he was getting clumsy and had even fallen once or twice for no apparent reason. His father then took him to the family doctor to ascertain the reasons for his unnatural fall and clumsiness, where he was diagnosed as suffering from ALS.
It was in 1971, when the young physicist, Stephen Hawking, proposed a groundbreaking concept known as the "Area Theorem," an idea rooted in Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. This theorem laid the foundation for understanding the nature of black holes and their behaviour concerning the area of their event horizons and it set off a series of fundamental insights about black hole mechanics. The experimental validation of this theorem took an unexpected turn in 2015 with the historic detections made by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).
Stephen Hawking's Area Theorem, which became an integral component of his research on black holes, postulates that the total area of the event horizons of black holes can never decrease over time. The event horizon is the boundary beyond which nothing, not even light, can escape the gravitational pull of the black hole. This is what makes black holes one of the most known scientific terms with little understanding of what it is, in terms of science and its understanding. Hawking’s theorem aligns with the second law of thermodynamics, suggesting an intriguing connection between the physics of black holes and thermodynamic principles. Hawking's work extended Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, introducing new perspectives on black hole dynamics. According to the Area Theorem, as black holes merge or interact, the collective area of their event horizons should not diminish, affirming a fundamental aspect of the thermodynamic behaviour of black holes.
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) made history in 2015 by detecting gravitational waves emanating from the collision of two black holes. This groundbreaking observation not only confirmed a major prediction of Einstein's theory but also provided a unique opportunity to explore the implications of Hawking's Area Theorem. As the two black holes spiralled inwards and eventually merged, they created ripples in spacetime, propagating as gravitational waves. LIGO's precise instruments detected these waves, offering a wealth of information about the binary black hole systems. The observations also provided an indirect validation of the Area Theorem, as the combined area of the event horizons in the final merged black hole should not be less than the sum of the individual black holes' areas before the collision.
Hawking's contributions to theoretical physics, particularly in the fields of cosmology and black holes, are nothing short of revolutionary. Beyond his scientific achievements, Stephen Hawking emerged as a symbol of hope for differently-abled individuals around the globe. His life story exemplified the triumph of the human spirit over physical limitations. Hawking's resilience in the face of adversity resonated with countless people, fostering a sense of empowerment and proving that the human mind knows no bounds, even when the body does.
One of Hawking's most enduring legacies is his best-selling book, "A Brief History of Time." This masterpiece brought complex scientific concepts to a broader audience, captivating readers with the wonders of the cosmos. The book's success not only solidified Hawking's status as a brilliant scientist but also positioned him as a communicator who could bridge the gap between the scientific community and the general public. Published in 1988, this book aimed to make complex topics like black holes, the nature of time, and the origin of the universe accessible to the general public. It became an international phenomenon, selling millions of copies and staying on bestseller lists for an extended period. In the book, Hawking skilfully combined scientific insights with engaging prose, offering readers a glimpse into the mysteries of the cosmos without compromising on intellectual rigor. The book's success not only brought widespread recognition to Hawking but also played a pivotal role in popularizing science and inspiring a new generation of enthusiasts.
Stephen Hawking passed away on March 14, 2018. Appended below is a link to my tribute paid to Stephen Hawking on my Facebook on his passing away. His frail yet indefatigable appearance stuck to the wheelchair with his characteristic voice synthesised speech, will surely be missed by hundreds of thousands of his admirers all across the globe. And for the innumerable differently abled and their caregivers, for whom he continued to be a shining star of hope and aspirations, his death means the star has collapsed into a black hole creating an unconquerable vacuum.
Incidentally just two years after the passing away of Hawking, the coveted Nobel Prize for Physics for the year 2020, was awarded half to Roger Penrose for showing how black holes could form and half to Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez for discovering a supermassive object at the Milky Way’s center.
Long live Stephen Hawking.
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