Stephen Hawking dies at age 76

[dgiharris]

I worked R&D in a laser lab once upon a time and knew people who knew people that knew him and....

that is actually a true story and it happened more than once

Another aside...

So, in my Quantum physics class our professor was a former chief scientist from a major lab. The running joke was he had forgotten more physics than the entire department collectively ever knew...

Anyways, he was teaching us some quantum physics principle when the conversation steered to some recent discovery of some black hole somewhere. Anyways, he goes on aside about black holes and how this principle he was teaching us could apply to black holes and then he had a flash of inspiration about something else that was in the news and a TV show we were discussing about Faster than Light travel... So right then and there on the spot he starts deriving how you could use a black hole to travel faster than light and then he starts in with how you could possibly leverage a black hole via a worm hole to enable FTL and then he stops and says, "Oh, well in order to do this I'd have to invent some new math and new physics" and then he starts inventing the new math/physics right there on the spot... the whole time he is talking us through what he is doing but he is completely absorbed, backed turned to the class, just scribbling away on the chalk board like a mad man...

He then smacks his forehead in a "duh" moment and says, "Stupid me, this requires a 4-d physical operator and negative energy in order to work..." He pauses and says, "Negative energy shouldn't be too much of a problem assuming..." and then he goes on another bout of muttering and scribbling like a mad man then after 5 minutes he pauses and clucks his tongue then says, "Oh crap, this would shoot the spacecraft back in time..." then he shrugs, erases everything he just wrote turns back to us and says, "Oh, where were we, oh yeah, Hamiltonian Operators..."

Meanwhile, everyone in the class is just staring at each other, mouths wide open as we had just witnessed true unmitigated genius. We could have collectively studied for our entire lives and still not of had the collective ability to do what he just did in front of us in ten minutes...

It was the most intellectually humbling moment I've ever had in my entire life. Most of us in the room had IQs between 120 to 150. But in that moment, we were Monkeys.

that is how smart someone like Stephen Hawkings is/was.

Sad day for science

 

[dgiharris]

Has Trump Tweeted Anything about Hawkings death yet?

Just curious, can't seem to find anything recent...

 

[Glass*Soul]

He’s no longer an atheist........ I pray God has mercy on his soul.

You will never know that you are wrong.

 

[He is Risen 72]

You will never know that you are wrong.

Wrong. We have the eternal written Word of the Living God through His Son, Jesus Christ, has given the Free gift of Eternal life for whosoever shall Believe in Him. This Holy Word has endured through the ages and survived all attempts by the enemy of Light to diminish and destroy the Holy Word.

 

[Shiloh Raven]

You will never know that you are wrong.

I think you're wasting your time with this unless you happen upon a Christian, who, like me when I was still Christian, found sufficient enough evidence to stop honestly believing in the Christian faith. But discussing that evidence (even off topic in this thread) isn't allowed because it would contradict the validity and beliefs of the Christian faith and that's generally not allowed on this site.

 

[Blood Bought 1953]

Praying for you.

Thank you.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

He’s no longer an atheist........ I pray God has mercy on his soul.

Without any information to the contrary (nothing good reported anywhere so far),
as far as we can tell from the facts, YHVH gave him over (as written at times) a long time ago to believe his own delusions were true.

Was there ever anything to show otherwise ?

 

[frater_domus]

I am guilty. I couldn't help but smirk when I read the news. His atheist and anti-God sentiments really angered me. But a Christian should be a above such basal and evil thoughts. I'll be praying for him, his family and for forgiveness...

 

[redleghunter]

I worked R&D in a laser lab once upon a time and knew people who knew people that knew him and....

that is actually a true story and it happened more than once

I once met him in McDonald's in Tongducheon Korea where we debated violent aliens for hours.

Well no, I really wanted that to happen but it did not really happen .

 

[Nithavela]

I think you're wasting your time with this unless you happen upon a Christian, who, like me when I was still Christian, found sufficient enough evidence to stop honestly believing in the Christian faith. But discussing that evidence (even off topic in this thread) isn't allowed because it would contradict the validity and beliefs of the Christian faith and that's generally not allowed on this site.

There are actually forums where it is allowed, but this is not one of them (and it would also be wildly ot for this thread).

 

[Rion]

I am guilty. I couldn't help but smirk when I read the news. His atheist and anti-God sentiments really angered me. But a Christian should be a above such basal and evil thoughts. I'll be praying for him, his family and for forgiveness...

I don't get that thought process. I always feel pity for non-believers deaths.

 

[sunshineforJesus]

R I P Steven Hawking.
A K A Sheldons hero on Big Bang

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I don't get that thought process. I always feel pity for non-believers deaths.

Ezekiel 33:11 - Bible Gateway
Ezekiel 33:11 - Bible Gateway
Say to them: As I live, saith the Lord God, I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way, and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways: and why will you die, O house of Israel? ERV. “You must say to them, 'The Lord God says: By my life, I swear that I don't enjoy seeing people die

Proverbs 14:32 - Bible Gateway
Proverbs 14:32 - Bible Gateway
The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, but the righteous hath hope in his death. ASV. The wicked is thrust down in his evil-doing; But the righteous hath a refuge in his death. AMP. The wicked is overthrown through his wrongdoing, But the righteous has hope and confidence and a refuge [with God] even in death.

 

[SolomonVII]

Im terms of science, Hawking was something of a genius.
In terms of his personal life, he was something of a jerk according to some reports anyway.

I think that what we all can admire about Steven Hawking, the man, is the tenacity and bravery he lived his life with everyday. So many with his condition lobby for euthanasia and the "right to die with dignity".
Steven Hawking chose life over dignity, and in the end lived his life down to the very end with both.

 

[dgiharris]

I don't get that thought process. I always feel pity for non-believers deaths.

Me as well. The idea of someone spending an eternity in agonizing pain has never left me with a smirk and giddy sense of "I told you so"...

Instead, I feel a profound sense of sorrow and pity and I do pray that god show mercy upon said person's soul...

 

[dgiharris]

Im terms of science, Hawking was something of a genius.
In terms of his personal life, he was something of a jerk according to some reports anyway.

I think that what we all can admire about Steven Hawking, the man, is the tenacity and bravery he lived his life with everyday. So many with his condition lobby for euthanasia and the "right to die with dignity".
Steven Hawking chose life over dignity, and in the end lived his life down to the very end with both.

Not sure why you'd feel the need for that second sentence...

Not sure about where you are from, but where I come from... speaking ill of the dead isn't cool.

 

[Glass*Soul]

I think you're wasting your time with this unless you happen upon a Christian, who, like me when I was still Christian, found sufficient enough evidence to stop honestly believing in the Christian faith. But discussing that evidence (even off topic in this thread) isn't allowed because it would contradict the validity and beliefs of the Christian faith and that's generally not allowed on this site.

Well, I think my anti-apologetics days are behind me anyway. The thing is that I didn't like the tone of the original remark. It gloated in one sentence and simpered about mercy in the next. That pretty much sums up the dark side of the Christian faith.

Stephen Hawking was as real as it gets. Singular. I doubt there has been another person in history who has lived a comparable life. He owned it.

 

[dgiharris]

..... It gloated in one sentence and simpered about mercy in the next. That pretty much sums up the dark side of the Christian faith..

This is one of the biggest turn offs for me with my fellow Christians. This sorta passive-aggressive-backhanded-double-entendre-two-faced declarations delivered with a sense of smug satisfaction

First say something hurtful then immediately follow it up with a take back and a platitude

I've just never been one to kick a man while he is down...

 

[Dave RP]

Stephen Hawking dies aged 76

He was a remarkable man, who suffered unimaginable physical hardship in his life but maintained his dignity and humanity throughout. His astonishing intellect shone through, and his scientific work will live on for many years. He also had a wonderful sense of humour.

Regarding some comments on here by Christians, I am of the opinion that if he was wrong and there is a god offering eternal life, he will not further punish a man who’s been physically punished enough on earth but has used the enormous capacity for learning that the god would have given him to the benefit of mankind

If there’s a heaven, Mr. Hawking is in it.

 

[TerranceL]

Hawking’s champagne-fuelled time travel party

A clip from 2010 documentary Into the Universe shows the iconic scientist, who died at his home in Cambridge aged 76, waiting for attendees to show up to the champagne-fuelled soiree.

“I like simple experiments ... and champagne,” says a voiceover as the camera pans over plates of hors d’oeuvres and flutes of Krug. “So I’ve combined two of my favourite things to see if time travel from the future to the past is possible. I’m throwing a party. A welcome reception for future time travellers.”

The scientist is seen sitting in his wheelchair alone in a sumptuous, brightly lit room at the University of Cambridge, decorated with balloons and a large sign that reads: “Welcome time travellers.”

However, the cosmologist explains, “there’s a twist”. He didn’t send the invitation out until after the party.

“You are cordially invited to a reception for Time Travellers,” the invite reads. “No RSVP required.” It gives the date, time and exact coordinates of the location at Cambridge University’s Gonville and Caius College.

“I’m hoping copies of it in one form or another will survive for many thousands of years.” he explains. “Maybe one day, someone living in the future will find the information and use a wormhole time machine to come back to my party, proving that time travel will one day be possible.”

A hopeful Hawking is seen sitting alone in the room as the seconds tick by, and no one appears. “What a shame,” jokes the scientist. “I was hoping a future Miss Universe was going to step through the door.”

Some have attributed the cosmologist’s remarkable longevity to his ability to see the funny side of human existence, as well as its scientific import.






In June 2014, comedian John Oliver asked Hawking in an interview: “You’ve stated that there could be an infinite number of parallel universe ... Does that mean there’s a universe out there where I am smarter than you?”

Lightning fast, Hawking countered: “Yes. And also a universe where you’re funny.”