When he was only 21, doctors gave Hawking a terrible diagnosis, with which no one longer than 5 years does not live - BAS, or the disease of Lou Gehrig, or Charcot's disease. It is a slowly progressing disease of the central nervous system. But here medicine was wrong.
As you can see, the genius of modernity, Stephen Hawking, lived to be 76 years old and left the world this spring. And these 11 quotations below will be a kind of homage to the memory of the English theoretical physicist, writer and director of scientific work at the Center for Theoretical Cosmology at Cambridge University.
1. About his schooling.
"At school I was not among the smartest. At the same time I had a very strong class. My class work was always done inaccurately, and my teacher could not make out my handwriting. But, despite this, my classmates gave me the nickname "Einstein". So, apparently, they already knew something about me. And when I was 12 years old, one of my friends argued with another on a bag of sweets, that I would remain a fool. I still do not know which of them won, but who lost. "
- from the lecture "My Short History", 2010.
2. About meeting with newcomers.
"If the aliens come to us, the consequences will be much more serious than the discovery of America by Columbus, which, as you know, lamentably ended for Native Americans. We should look, first of all, at ourselves to see how an intelligent life can turn into something that we would not like to meet. "
- from the television program "In the Universe with Stephen Hawking", 2010.
3. About the moment of a new scientific discovery.
"I would not compare this with sex, but it definitely lasts many times longer."
- from a lecture at Arizona State University, April 2011.
4. On disability.
"If you are chained to a wheelchair, there is no fault of yours, but that does not mean you have to blame the whole world, expecting that he will take pity on you. All you need is to be optimistic about everything and try to extract from the best situation only the best; if someone is physically inferior, then he should not allow himself to have also psychological limitations. I believe that in this particular case it is important for the individual to focus his attention and direct all his forces to those activities where physical limitations do not carry any problem in themselves. I'm afraid that I will never get a good Paralympic athlete, but in fact I never liked athletics. On the other hand, science is an excellent sphere for physically disabled people, because here it is necessary to work, first of all, with the head. Of course, it is possible that you will be involved in the experimental part, but then you can ideally perform theoretical work. For me, my disability is not a strong obstacle in the study of theoretical physics. Indeed, it helped me avoid the endless lectures and administrative work that I would have to do, if not for my illness. However, I succeeded in this field only thanks to the help of my colleagues, students, wife and children. I realized that in general people are always happy to help, but for this you should encourage them, inspire them, make it clear that their support in the future will cost something more. "
- from "People with disabilities and science", September 1984.
5. About time travel.
"I would come back in 1967, the birthday of my first-born Robert. All three of my children brought me great joy. "
- from The New York Times, May 2011.
6. About fate and free will.
"I noticed that people who claim that everything is predetermined in this life and that nothing can be done by oneself, immediately change their minds as soon as they cross the road."
- from the book "Black Holes and Young Universes".
7. About science against religion.
"There is a fundamental difference between a religion based on power and a science that is based on observations and facts. In the end, science will benefit, because it works. "
- from ABC News, June 2010.
8. On the imperfection.
"The next time someone tells you that you made a mistake, answer that maybe it's even better. Because without imperfection neither you nor me would exist. "
- from the television program "In the Universe with Stephen Hawking", 2010.
9. About your IQ.
"No idea. People who boast of their level of intelligence are losers. "
- from The New York Times, December 2014.
10. About women.
"They are a complete mystery."
- for New Scientist, January 2012.
11. On the advice that he gave his children.
"First: do not forget to look at the stars, not at your feet. Second: never give up what you are doing. Work gives you meaning, purpose, and life without it is empty. Third: if you are lucky, and you will meet your love, remember that it should not be scattered. "
- from ABC News, June 2010.