⋆ This presentation is done by Meera P S, Physical

science batch, St.Xaviers Training College, Aluva

as practicum for the paper EDU104 under the
guidance of Ms. Irene Mathew, Assistant
Professor, Physical Science, St.Xaviers Training
College, Aluva as a part of the two year Bachelor
of Education programme.

⋆ Topic : Digital Album on Stephen Hawking

 Contents
⋆ Introduction
⋆ Family and Education
⋆ Disability
⋆ Personal life
⋆ Scientific Contributions
⋆ Books, Publications and Achievements
 Introduction
⋆ Stephen Hawking was an English
theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and
author.
⋆ Director of research at the Centre for
Theoretical Cosmology at the
University of Cambridge at the time of
his death.
⋆ Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at
the University of Cambridge (1979 -
2009).
 Family and early life
⋆ Hawking was born on 8 January 1942 in Oxford to
Frank and Isobel Eileen Hawking.
⋆ Hawking's mother was born into a family of doctors
in Glasgow, Scotland.
⋆ Both parents attended the University of Oxford,
Frank studied medicine and Isobel studied
Philosophy, Politics and Economics.
⋆ Hawking had two younger sisters, Philippa and Mary,
and an adopted brother, Edward Frank David.
Baby Stephen Hawking with Stephen Hawking with sisters,
parents Frank and Isobel. Mary and Philippa
 Education- school years

⋆ Hawking began his schooling at the Byron House School in Highgate,

London
⋆ Although known at school as "Einstein", Hawking was not initially
successful academically.
⋆ Hawking studied mathematics, later decided to study physics and
chemistry.
⋆ Hawking was awarded a scholarship after taking the examinations in
March 1959.
 College - Undergraduate

⋆ Hawking began his university education at

University College, Oxford at the age of 17.
⋆ His physics tutor was Robert Berman.
⋆ Was interested in classical music and science
fiction.
⋆ Decided to join the college boat club, the University
College Boat Club.
⋆ Received a first-class BA (Hons.) degree in physics.
 Graduate years

⋆ Started graduate study in cosmology at the

University of Cambridge.
⋆ His supervisor was Dennis William Sciama, one of
the founders of modern cosmology.
⋆ During 1965, he wrote his Ph.D thesis on singularity
of the entire universe, called "Properties of
Expanding Universes". Hawking's thesis was
approved in 1966.
 Graduate years (Contd.)
⋆ Hawking received a research fellowship at Gonville
and Caius College at Cambridge.
⋆ Obtained his PhD degree in applied mathematics
and theoretical physics, specialising in general
relativity and cosmology, in March 1966.
⋆ His essay "Singularities and the Geometry of Space-
Time" won prestigious Adams Prize.
⋆ Diagnosed with motor neurone disease during this
time.
 Disability
⋆ Diagnosed at age 21, with rare slow-progressing
form of motor neurone disease ( also known as
"ALS", or Lou Gehrig's disease).
⋆ Hawking’s physical abilities declined in late 1960s
and started using motorized wheelchair in the late
1970’s .
⋆ For communication, he initially raised his eyebrows
to choose letters on a spelling card.
⋆ In 1986 he received a computer program which
stores words called the "Equalizer" from Walter
Woltosz, CEO of Words Plus.
 Personal life
⋆ Was in relationship with Jane Wilde, a friend of
his sister, engaged to her in October 1964. The
two were married on 14 July 1965.
⋆ In 1980s, Hawking had grown close to one of
his nurses, Elaine Mason.
⋆ After his divorce from Jane in 1995, Hawking
married Mason in September.
⋆ In 2006, Hawking and Mason divorced.
⋆ Hawking resumed closer relationships with
Jane, his children, and his grandchildren.
Stephen Hawking with former wife Jane, and his three children, Robert,
Lucy and Timothy.
Scientific Contributions
 Scientific works
⋆ The large scale structure of Space-time.
⋆ Hawking-Penrose theorem
⋆ Hawking Radiation
⋆ Primordial fluctuations
⋆ Black Hole information Paradox
⋆ Soft Hair problem
⋆ No Boundary condition
⋆ A brief history of time
 Contribution in detail

⋆ Structure of space-time : Hawking with his

colleague George Ellis, worked on foundation of
space and nature of expanding universe using
Einstein's General relativity. The classic book ‘The
large scale structure of space-time’, contains these
works.
 Contribution in detail

⋆ Hawking- Penrose theorem : Roger Penrose and

Hawking together proved in a theorem that
Einstein's General Relativity must breakdown at a
certain point in space-time under certain generic
physical condition. This point is called singularity.
There is a singularity inside black hole and also at
the creation of universe
 Contribution in detail

⋆ Hawking Radiation : The greatest work of Hawking.

Hawking for the first time used Quantum mechanics
in General relativistic realm and showed that black
hole can radiate and has temperature.

⋆ Primordial fluctuations : Explained how galaxies and

cluster of galaxies took shape from homogeneous
gaseous universe, based on tiny fluctuations or
imperfections in the early universe.
 Contribution in detail
⋆ Black Hole information paradox : He doubted if
black hole swallows everything and eventually gets
evaporated through Hawking radiation, the
information about the object it swallowed is also
lost, then how does the fundamental law of physics
about information stand? And it created a paradox.

⋆ Soft Hair theorem : In 2016, Hawking himself

proposed some concepts called ‘superetranslation’
and ‘superrotation’ that may solve information
paradox. But yet it is an unsolved problem.
 Contribution in detail
⋆ No Boundary condition : Hawking with his friend James
Hurtle developed a Quantum mechanical model of the
universe called ‘Hawking -Hurtle’ state, that says universe
is self contained and has no boundaries.

⋆ A brief history of time : Hawking's greatest literary works. It

has some greatest questions on the universe and answers
by a physicist, in a relatively easy language.
⋆ Hawking supervised 39 successful PhD students.
 Books
A Brief History of Time
(1988): best-seller list
for a record-breaking
237 weeks.
 Other popular publications
⋆ Other best sellers: Black Holes and Baby Universes
and Other Essays (1993), The Universe in a Nutshell
(2001), Brief Answers to the Big Questions (2018)
and others.
⋆ Also wrote Children’s fiction books, co-written with
his daughter Lucy..
⋆ Also featured in many films and series.
 Achievements
⋆ Hawking was a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS)
⋆ Lifetime member of the Pontifical Academy of
Sciences
⋆ A recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom,
the highest civilian award in the United States.
⋆ In 2002, Hawking was ranked number 25 in the
BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons.
 Hawkin’s Views and Opinions

● Earth is at risk from a sudden nuclear war, a genetically engineered

virus, global warming.

● Hawking stated that, given the vastness of the universe, aliens likely
exist, but that contact with them should be avoided.

● Creating artificial intelligence (AI) would be the biggest event in

human history. It might also be the last, unless we learn how to avoid
the risks.
 Death
⋆ Hawking died at his home in Cambridge, England, on
14 March 2018, at the age of 76.
⋆ Died on the 139th anniversary of Einstein's birth.
⋆ Left his three children a fortune of around USD 20
million.
⋆ Hawking had many sources of income, including book
sales and science awards.
⋆ Inscribed on his memorial stone “Here lies what is
mortal of Stephen Hawking 1942-2018” and his
famed equation.
Thank you!