Ask someone to picture a famous scientist and they will probably conjure up the wild-haired mental image of Albert Einstein. Perhaps second only to him, and no less iconic, would be this man:
In 1963, Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – Lou Gehrig’s Disease – and given two or three years to live. Instead, as is well known, he beat the odds, found ways to communicate despite his disability and went on to become one of the greatest theoretical physicists of this or any era.
His book A Brief History of Time sold millions of copies and is widely regarded as a near-perfect balance of scientific concept and simple explanation. I would be willing to bet that a great many younger readers of this book were influenced by its words to turn their minds to science; at the very least, one young reader was. I already found science ‘interesting’, but it was Hawking who put it firmly into ‘fascinating’ territory.
Today, Cambridge University released a statement to say that Hawking is very ill and is being cared for at one of the city’s hospitals.
If you’re inclined to say prayers, please spare one for this phenomenal human being. And even if you’re not, perhaps it wouldn’t go amiss just this once.
That Other Blog, Way Over There 
You’ll be pleased to hear that the BBC announced this morning that he’s responding to treatment for a respiratory infection. (Were you with us when we spotted him buying homemade toffee in Cambridge a few years ago?)
I’m pretty sure my first introduction to him was via a Simpsons episode. That’s not intended to diminish him, rather to echo how widely known he is. I’m glad to hear he seems to be doing better.
@Mum
Definitely pleased to hear that.
Re: spotting him… I was indeed, and it was actually fudge.
@f.B
Indeed – Hawking has actually been all over pop culture. Well do I remember my glee when I saw him in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.