World renowned British physicist Stephen Hawking died early Wednesday morning in Cambridge at age 76. The visionary scientist is best known for his work with black holes, general relativity, and quantum mechanics, but as physicist Adam Frank says, Hawking’s story is about more than the science. At age 22, Hawking was diagnosed with ALS and given only a few years to live. He used a wheelchair and a voice synthesizer to speak. As Frank says, Hawking’s story is about the triumph of the human spirit and the ability to push at the frontier.
Our guests discuss his life and work:
- Brian Koberlein, senior lecturer of physics at RIT
- Roger Dube, research professor and director of the Science Exploration Program at RIT
- Mike Campbell, director of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester
- Adam Frank, astrophysicist at the University of Rochester, and contributor to NPR’s 13.7: Cosmos & Culture blog
