• In total there is 1 user online :: 0 registered, 0 hidden and 1 guest (based on users active over the past 60 minutes)
    Most users ever online was 789 on Tue Mar 19, 2024 5:08 am

Professor Stephen Hawking - The Man, The Physicist

#89: Nov. - Dec. 2010 (Non-Fiction)
User avatar
Jim Watters
All Star Member
Posts: 132
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 6:06 pm
13
Location: Tampa, FL
Has thanked: 41 times
Been thanked: 38 times
Gender:
Contact:
United States of America

Professor Stephen Hawking - The Man, The Physicist

Unread post

Someone just sent me this funny (to me) comic about Professor Hawking: http://xkcd.com/799/

Image

I'll be adding videos and links in the coming weeks in this thread, that don't deal with the book, as I don't want to spoil anything for the readers.
User avatar
Jim Watters
All Star Member
Posts: 132
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 6:06 pm
13
Location: Tampa, FL
Has thanked: 41 times
Been thanked: 38 times
Gender:
Contact:
United States of America

Re: Professor Stephen Hawking - The Man, The Physicist

Unread post

User avatar
Dexter

1F - BRONZE CONTRIBUTOR
I dumpster dive for books!
Posts: 1787
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2010 3:14 pm
13
Has thanked: 144 times
Been thanked: 712 times
United States of America

Re: Professor Stephen Hawking - The Man, The Physicist

Unread post

I don't know if he says it in that documentary, but I remember him saying that because of his disease he thinks slower than the average person. I found that amazing because my brain probably works a lot of faster (maybe?) and yet I'm still so much stupider in comparison!

It's clear that one of the things that separates the genius from the normal person is that they have the ability to concentrate hard for a long period of time on a question or problem -- so Hawking has to do that even more than the "average" genius.
User avatar
Jim Watters
All Star Member
Posts: 132
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 6:06 pm
13
Location: Tampa, FL
Has thanked: 41 times
Been thanked: 38 times
Gender:
Contact:
United States of America

Re: Professor Stephen Hawking - The Man, The Physicist

Unread post

I haven't heard that myself. Usually people with this disease are fully cognitive, trapped in their atrophied bodies. But due to the lack of mobility, they often sit or lay down and can only think. Professor Hawking was already a genius physicist when the disease started effecting him. He had thoughts of suicide though, until he met his first wife Jane IIRC. I think he was able to clear his mind and focus on the complex mathematics in his head, visualizing the math, tinkering with it, and working out solutions. That is amazing. I believe Einstein would often do that as well.
User avatar
President Camacho

1F - BRONZE CONTRIBUTOR
I Should Be Bronzed
Posts: 1655
Joined: Sat Apr 12, 2008 1:44 pm
15
Location: Hampton, Ga
Has thanked: 246 times
Been thanked: 314 times

Re: Professor Stephen Hawking - The Man, The Physicist

Unread post

In Stephen Hawking Robot Voice: Thah-nk you for shay-ring this enligh,ten,ing vidy-yo, I le-rn,d so much from iit.
User avatar
Jim Watters
All Star Member
Posts: 132
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 6:06 pm
13
Location: Tampa, FL
Has thanked: 41 times
Been thanked: 38 times
Gender:
Contact:
United States of America

Re: Professor Stephen Hawking - The Man, The Physicist

Unread post

U R wel-come Mr. Pre-si-dent. I hope you will read my book. Damn, I have crapped in my pants.
User avatar
Jim Watters
All Star Member
Posts: 132
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 6:06 pm
13
Location: Tampa, FL
Has thanked: 41 times
Been thanked: 38 times
Gender:
Contact:
United States of America

Re: Professor Stephen Hawking - The Man, The Physicist

Unread post

BTW: This is the way Professor Hawking used to communicate before he completely lost use of his vocal chords and lips/neck. This is the condition he was in when I first started watching PBS shows about him mid-1980's.

Stephen Hawking (Creation of the Universe)

Post Reply

Return to “The Grand Design - by Stephen Hawking & Leonard Mlodinow”