Link to a reputable news source, since my first thought was hoax and it's not like a link to the herald does much to disspell that thought :p

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-43396008 

RIP

I was going to post something, but this says it better:

I was literally talking about him and his feelings around AI overtaking humans today. Nature bet them to it for him. RIP

He isn't dead. He just went out to doublecheck his theories in practice.

He was lucky to make it that far. A friend of mine's wife nearly ran him over in the College carpark in Cambridge about 15 years ago - reckons she missed him by about 3 feet! He apologised and said he wasn't paying attention would you believe.

To borrow from Carl Sagan

The universe must have learned a lot about itself from him.

RIP

He gave so much and I think without us even knowing, we took much more! RIP you wonderful and great example of humankind.

I went to CNN, and with all the &^%$#%^ going on in the world, he got the biggest headline, star billing, pun not intended, but true both ways. 

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/14/health/stephen-hawking-dead/index.html

One of many quotes from the master

- On fame: "The downside of my celebrity is that I cannot go anywhere in the world without being recognised. It is not enough for me to wear dark sunglasses and a wig. The wheelchair gives me away" - Interview on Israeli TV, December 2006.

tdgeek:

One of many quotes from the master

 

- On fame: "The downside of my celebrity is that I cannot go anywhere in the world without being recognised. It is not enough for me to wear dark sunglasses and a wig. The wheelchair gives me away" - Interview on Israeli TV, December 2006.

Truly inspirational.

RIP

tdgeek:

 

One of many quotes from the master

 

 

 

- On fame: "The downside of my celebrity is that I cannot go anywhere in the world without being recognised. It is not enough for me to wear dark sunglasses and a wig. The wheelchair gives me away" - Interview on Israeli TV, December 2006.

 

That is funny. His appearances on Big Bang Theory and The Simpsons were always good value as well. To maintain a sense of humour in his circumstances is a measure of fortitude I can only find very impressive indeed.

Geektastic:

 

tdgeek:

 

One of many quotes from the master

 

 

 

- On fame: "The downside of my celebrity is that I cannot go anywhere in the world without being recognised. It is not enough for me to wear dark sunglasses and a wig. The wheelchair gives me away" - Interview on Israeli TV, December 2006.

 

 

 

 

That is funny. His appearances on Big Bang Theory and The Simpsons were always good value as well. To maintain a sense of humour in his circumstances is a measure of fortitude I can only find very impressive indeed.

 

I do think he sought A little fame and why not?

I think he made great contributions to Physics. But, many little known Physicists have done as much or more.

What made him unique was the adversity he overcame.

If there is a God (and there probably isn't) then Stephen now knows everything. Otherwise, he helped move the rest of us a little further along.

I learned some things I didn't know about SH today. 

1) He was married. 

2) He had 3 kids (how?!) I had thought maybe turkey baster etc but...

3) Just months short of his 25th wedding anniversary he left his wife for his nurse and called the relationship passionate and tempestuous so maybe not

It's hard to understand being with someone 25 years who nursed him and took care of him (her workload was immense apparently) and then leaving her for someone new. Seems wrong....