It was sad, and I shed a tear or two, but it was never really going to be surprising given how he spent close to 60 years with ALS.
Blighty's in need of big brains who also have social consciences, so in some ways that's the greater loss; one less respected voice of reason in an era of emotive hysteria and drawbridge-drawing division.
I'll be rewatching the first ep of Stephen Hawking's Universe tonight as it'll be a nice way to remember why he was so important beyond his own fields (a great communicator who sought to inspire, and never lost a sense of wonder at the universe). Chris Nolan's film, Interstellar, has nowt to do with Stephen (though Kip Thorne's input gives it a tangential connection), but it has that same sense of wonder and cosmic awe (also a pretty darn good looking blackhole, AWOL red and blue shifting aside), and so absolutely connects to his passions.
Whatever ship I eventually set out for Beagle Point in, I think I might name it in his honour. He got into low-earth orbit, I think, but he deserved to go much farther...
Blighty's in need of big brains who also have social consciences, so in some ways that's the greater loss; one less respected voice of reason in an era of emotive hysteria and drawbridge-drawing division.
I'll be rewatching the first ep of Stephen Hawking's Universe tonight as it'll be a nice way to remember why he was so important beyond his own fields (a great communicator who sought to inspire, and never lost a sense of wonder at the universe). Chris Nolan's film, Interstellar, has nowt to do with Stephen (though Kip Thorne's input gives it a tangential connection), but it has that same sense of wonder and cosmic awe (also a pretty darn good looking blackhole, AWOL red and blue shifting aside), and so absolutely connects to his passions.
Whatever ship I eventually set out for Beagle Point in, I think I might name it in his honour. He got into low-earth orbit, I think, but he deserved to go much farther...
