THINGS HAWKING

When I was younger, I knew Professor Stephen Hawking as the cool wheelchair-bound scientist with the robot voice. Of course now, I learned about his great contribution to science and that he was one of the greatest minds of our lifetime. More than an astronomer, a best-selling author, and a pop culture icon, Hawking was a renowned scientist who revolutionized the study of physics and taught us a basic understanding of time and space.

Here are some more facts you didn’t know about Professor Hawking who passed away yesterday at the age of 76.

Hawking’s birth and death coincides with events from other great minds in history

Professor Hawking was born on January 8, 1942 – as he always liked to point out, on the 300th death anniversary of Galileo Galilei, the Italian astronomer, and mathematician known as the “father of the scientific method”. On March 14, 2018, Hawking passed away on the same day as Albert Einstein’s birthday.

Hawking wrote a few children’s books

In addition to his many books on science including the best-selling book ‘A Brief History of Time’, Hawking also wrote books for children the combine science and adventure. One of his books, George and the Blue Moon, is about a young boy who goes to Mars for a training program, “fighting for survival in what feels like the Hunger Games set on the red planet.

Hawking loved to go to strip clubs

After the infamous divorce he had in the mid 90’s, Hawking was reportedly seen at strip clubs. He would always bring along with him a team of nurses and assistances that would wait for Professor Hawking to go home.

A nightclub owner recounted a funny experience with Hawking at a strip club. “I went and introduced myself and said, ‘Mr. Hawking, it's an honor to meet you. If you could spare a minute or two, I'd love to chat with you about the universe. Then I paused for a bit and joked, ‘Or would you rather look at the girls? There was silence for a moment, and then he answered: ‘The girls.’”