Hawking Wanted His Equation On His Tombstone

    • Indiatimes
    • Publish Date: Mar 15 2018 2:49PM
    • |
    • Updated Date: Mar 15 2018 2:49PM
Hawking Wanted His Equation On His Tombstone

Professor Stephen Hawking was the living example of mind over matter. In the wee hours of Wednesday, Hawking breathed his last in his home in Cambridge, at the age of 76. But he has left behind him something that's more than a legacy in the field of modern science. He literally shaped modern cosmology and inspired millions of people.

He discovered that black holes leak energy and fade into nothing - a phenomenon that would later become known as Hawking radiation. And the equation that he came up with to support his theory is what he wanted as the epitaph on his tombstone. It is one of the greatest equations as it had almost everything in it - the black holes entropy, quantum mechanics (h), gravity (G) and speed of light (c). All in one single equation. 

The S that the equation serves to calculate is entropy: a complicated but significant part of black holes... The h is the Planck constant, so important in quantum mechanics; the G is Newton's constant, used to understand gravity; the A refers to the area of the event horizon; the c is the speed of light, made so famous by Einstein's great formula; and the k is Boltzmann's constant, which is a way of understanding how energy relates to temperature.

Back in 2002, during his the celebrations of his 60th birthday, Prof Hawking described his research into black holes and his calculation that they would give off what is now known as Hawking Radiation.

"I would like this simple formula to be on my tombstone." He added, "It has been a glorious time to be alive and doing research in theoretical physics, and I'm happy if I have made a small contribution."


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Vishal Babu Krm public school

Our world now heals with an irreparable loss of the life of a marvellous man and a renowned physicist, STEPHEN HAWKING. He created his own world of formula and turned them all into realities. The death of 76 years old physicist, who had dedicated his whole life to open the doors of secrets of universe, passed away yesterday leaving it as one of the most mournful day in the history of science world. Now he might have transformed himself into a twinkling bright star. May his soul RIP.

Himanshi Dhawan Saffron Public School

His demise has created a vacuum in the world of Science. May he find a little hut amidst his favourite stars. Rest in peace professor.

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