Stephen Hawking | Can you hear me?
I am deeply saddened by the passing of Stephen Hawking. Yesterday, like the stars he so eloquently described in his research and writing on black holes and cosmology, his spark has extinguished, leaving what seems to be an empty space. However, a more appropriate and accurate statement of this monumental loss was noted by Neil deGrasse Tyson in his Twitter post:
"His passing has left an intellectual vacuum in his wake. But it's not empty. Think of it as a kind of vacuum energy permeating the fabric of spacetime that defies measure."
I feel I've lost my own personal genius. Professor Hawking's research and drive to share through education has profoundly shaped my personal philosophies of the world, life, religion, the universe and our place in it. His unique ability to connect with the world on a personal level has allowed for me to explore and attempt to understand the complexity of the universe through the most basic laws in nature. As a child, through exposure to Hawking's regular narration of science documentaries, he educated me on a basic understanding of the nature of the universe, and inspired me to continue my own investigation into physics, cosmology, and eventually onto particle physics.
Although not a trained physicist, my personal interest in the topic and voracious reading of Professor Hawking's published material has significantly broadened my perspective on how small we truly are in the universe; and just how exceptionally lucky we are simply to exist, even through the highly improbable combination of events that were conducive for us to even be here. When thinking from that perspective, I've already "won," we all have. Think about how lucky we are to be the current state of ~14 billion years of evolution of (this corner of) the universe; to be here, at this point in space and time, with the cognitive ability to explore our universe and what it means to be human. Hawking has always had that zest for life and imbued that sense of child wonder in his writing and talks, all of which inspired me and will continue to do so.
He's even influenced me as a father. As I've taught my children over the years, in contrast to the onslaught of pop culture media showcasing shallow, vapid celebrities, Professor Hawking stood as a genuine titan, in character and mind. His example has allowed me the opportunity to teach them what they should consider valuable when assessing who is worthy of their respect and what defines a hero.
Yes, Professor Hawking, I heard you and will continue to be curious, looking up at the stars and listening to what the universe has to teach me. Thank you for everything you've done.
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