Stephen Hawking, a rather noteworthy Theoretical Physicist and favorite of my own, is currently the Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology. He is also the head of the General Relativity Group for the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics 1. And if those accomplishments aren’t enough to make you want to bring him home and meet the parents, Professor Hawking is also the Principal Investigator for the COSMOS National Cosmology Supercomputer.
For those of you who do not spend your Friday nights watching the Universe Series on the Science channel, theoretical cosmologists study the evolution and composition of the universe. Currently, there is a great race among theoretical physicists for a unifying “Theory of Everything.” Such a theory seeks to link all known laws of the universe, from general relativity to quantum mechanics. This is where you may hear of ideas like “string theory,” which is one of the many theories of unification.
Hawking, no doubt, is a great contender in the race for a unifying theory of the universe. His many noteworthy achievements include 12 honorary degrees and various publications 1, such as A Brief History of Time and The Grand Design. Many of Hawking’s admirers might also add overcoming his disability of motor neuron disease, known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), to his long list of achievements. Due to complications from the disease, Professor Hawking uses a motorized wheelchair and must have assistance with activities of daily living. He uses a speech synthesizer program called Equalizer to communicate at a rate of 15 words per minute.
While many might think of speaking rate of this nature would make even simple conversation near impossible—Hawking has managed to compile a long list of publications, give various public lectures, and teaches doctoral students at Cambridge. He also has three children and grandchildren. Hawking says of his condition,
“I have been lucky, that my condition has progressed more slowly than is often the case. But it shows that one need not lose hope.”
I share this story about Stephen Hawking because his perseverance has been a reminder when I am discouraged with my own assistive technology issues. Perhaps the next time you find your disability a challenge, imagine teaching students theories of the universe in only 15 words a minute.
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