theceomagazine.com | 29T
he world of science, and indeed the
world at large, recently mourned the
loss of Stephen Hawking, renowned
theoretical physicist and author.
He died peacefully on 14 March,
aged 76, and has since been commemorated for
his towering intellect, keen sense of humour and
strong sense of purpose.
Hawking began his academic life at Oxford in
1959, aged 17. After receiving his bachelor’s degree
with first-class honours, he undertook graduate work
at Cambridge in 1962, studying cosmology and
general relativity.
Shortly after that, at 21, he was diagnosed with
motor neurone disease (MND) and given just two
years to live. However, he went on to complete his
studies, and his thesis was well received.
Over the course of his life, the debilitating
nature of his condition took its toll but didn’t prevent
him from marrying twice – first to Jane Wilde, with
whom he had three children; and 30 years later to
Elaine Mason, who had been one of his nurses.
While both relationships ended in divorce, they
survived through much of Hawking’s MND, which
left him unable to move or communicate without
considerable assistance.
Despite health challenges that would have
left others defeated, Hawking spent his life
revolutionising the fields of cosmology and
theoretical physics.
He also authored many successful books, such
as A Brief History ofTime, which spent five years on
The Sunday Times bestseller list and has sold millions
of copies.
Some of his most famous theories include the
idea that the universe began as a singularity, and that
black holes can emit energy, causing them to shrink
(known as Hawking radiation). (See more overleaf.)Along with the likes of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos,
Hawking spent many of his later years discussing
the necessity of extra-terrestrial exploration and
colonisation. He believed humanity would have
no future without it.
“If humanity is to continue for another million
years,” he said, “Our future lies in boldly going where
no one else has gone before.”
Since then, numerous other countries and
organisations have worked towards this – most
famously, Musk’s SpaceX. Meanwhile, China, the
US, India and many European nations are starting
another space race, attempting to reach the Moon
and Mars.
Hawking also often discussed the potential of
artificial intelligence and machine learning, saying in
2016: “I believe there is no deep difference between
what can be achieved by a biological brain and what
can be achieved by a computer. It therefore follows
that computers can, in theory, emulate human
intelligence — and exceed it.”
He was, however, cautious about such a future.
He also warned of the threat of industry automation,
believing that it would bring great disruption to the
economy. “The automation of factories has already
decimated jobs in traditional manufacturing, and
the rise of artificial intelligence is likely to extend
this job destruction deep into the middle classes,
with only the most caring, creative or supervisory
roles remaining.”
One of his last comments on the subject offered
hope, mixed with further caution: “Everyone can
enjoy a life of luxurious leisure if the machine-
produced wealth is shared, or most people can end
up miserably poor if the machine-owners successfully
lobby against wealth redistribution. So far, the trend
seems to be toward the second option, with
technology driving ever-increasing inequality.” »PROFESSOR STEPHEN HAWKING
PASSED AWAY JUST A COUPLE
OF MONTHS AGO, BUT HIS
CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR
UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIVERSE
WILL LIVE ON FOR CENTURIES.WORDS • OLIVER FEATHERSTONOur greatest minds | INSPIRE