Stephen Hawking was a renowned English theoretical physicist and cosmologist known for his work on black holes and relativity. He was diagnosed with ALS at a young age but continued his scientific work despite being wheelchair-bound and later losing his ability to speak. Through innovative assistive technology, Hawking was able to communicate and continue his groundbreaking research on theoretical physics and cosmology. He became one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century and authored several popular science books explaining complex concepts to the general public.

2. The power of the mind
For the brilliant English astrophysicist Stephen
Hawking "thought is the most powerful tool, in
addition to many things: his work, its fun, rest,
his passion, his life ... His wheelchair is a very
special advantage in the task of faces his
greatest concern: the universe we live in, its
origin, its operations and its end ...., Hawking
has demonstrated the ability of the human
mind to probe the universe in this task when
one character works tirelessly driven by an
absolute freedom ".
(John Boslough.'s Universe Stephen Hawking)

3. Stephen William Hawking was born on January 8, 1942 (300 years after the
death of Galileo) in Oxford, England. His parents were Frank and Elizabeth
Hawking, who had three children: Stephen, Philippa and Mary, and adopted a
boy named Edward.

4. When I was eight, his family
moved to St. Albans, a town
about 20 miles north of
London. At the age of eleven,
Stephen went to St. Albans
School and then at University
College, Oxford where for
three years (1959-1962)
A los 12 años, en el jardín de su casa en St Alban y en 1962 studied physics, which studies
durante su graduación en Oxford. the conclusion,
in 1962, awarded first class honors in the specialty of Natural Sciences. But what
attracted him was the cosmology, for what happens to study at the University of
Cambridge, obtaining his Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics and Cosmology, in 1966.

5. Only two more years
In full bloom of youth, Stephen
begins to feel some variation in the
speed of their movements, which
become clumsy. At the insistence
of his mother, see the doctor and
after several tests he was
diagnosed, in early 1963,
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
or Lou Gehrig's disease, rare
disease characterized by
degeneration
progressive nervous system cells responsible for voluntary muscle movement.
The symptoms of his illness became acute when in Persia, where he traveled
in spite of knowing and his evil, he contracted a virus. His health deteriorated
so much that doctors risked two years of life predicted maximum.

6. Stephen Hawking with his wife
Jane and his son Tim after
receiving his honorary degree at
the University of Cambridge.
El amor y la fama llegan a su vida
A pesar de tan duro percance por el que tuvo que pasar no perdió el optimismo
y deseo de vivir y es en esos momentos que conoce a Jane Wilde de quien se
enamora y con quien se casa en 1965. Con ella permanecerá hasta 1991 y
tendrá sus tres hijos: Robert, Lucy y Timothy.

7. Member of the Royal Society
When Hawking received his doctorate (1966)
worked with Roger Penrose in the
mathematical proof of the beginning of time.
At this time began his teaching as an adjunct
professor of Applied Mathematics and
Theoretical Physics at Cambridge. Formulated
theories about the uniqueness of the universe,
the Big Bang, or the original explosion of
Cosmos-and black holes.
In 1974, when he was 32, he was conferred an
honorary one of the most important of Great
Britain membership of the Royal Society, the
most prestigious scientific institution in the
world. Hawking became one of the younger
members who had the said company.
At that time, Alan Hodgkin, Nobel Prize in
Biology and Chairman of the society, had to
approach the wheelchair to sign the book
Hawking credited him as a member of the
famed institution.

8. Another tough test
In 1985, meeting at The
European Organization for
Nuclear Research (CERN),
Stephen suffered an acute
episode of pneumonia that was
complicated as the doctors
came to tell Jane, his wife, who
was not worth keeping the life
support machine lit.
Nevertheless,
y conocedora del coraje y el tesón que siempre había mostrado Stephen,
Jane decidió trasladarle al hospital de Addenbrooke (Cambridge) donde el
Dr. Roger Greyle le efectuó una traqueotomía que salvaría su vida, pero que
le privaría por el resto de sus días de la voz.

9. The technique allows you to overcome
this challenge
With such a difficult life, stoic and full of
voluntarism for granted that Stephen was
once again prevail. And so it happened.
Walter Woltosz, a California computer
expert, he decided to send him a design
and creation software that would allow
him to speak again through a synthesizer.
This synthesizer set by David Mason to
the wheelchair in which he was
prostrate accompany him the rest of his life and through which
Stephen would continue with all its academic and research work.
Today, Hawking has replaced its old voice synthesizer with a new
one with a British English accent. The former had an American
accent.
This new device is mounted, as above, in his wheelchair, and can
process any type or size of text (such as email) and offering greater
precision.

10. A Beautiful Mind
Hakwing academic career is
surprisingly bright. It starts with the
procurement, ranking first as a
researcher and later as a teacher at
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.
In 1973 the Institute of Astronomy
leaves to join the Department of
Applied Mathematics and Physics
Theoretical, also in Cambridge, and in 1977 was appointed professor of
Gravitational Physics. In 1979 he received the appointment of Lucasian
Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge, famous chair occupied by such brilliant
minds such as Isaac Newton and Paul Adrien Dirac.
It also has twelve honorary graduations in such prestigious institutions as
Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Berkeley, Harvard, etc. In addition, a member of the
U.S. National Academy of Sciences.
Mention in 1989 and received a double international: Queen Elizabeth II named
him a Companion of Honour and Spain granted the Prince of Asturias Award for
Concord.

11. Talking about disability
Stephen Hawking is aware of their suffering but also the serene face
of adversity and confrontation which is more worthy of admiration,
how could confront and tame without losing the humility that
characterizes the scholar but not to the wise.
In an interview made by the BBC was asked:
- Why do you think you have made ​it famous as a scientist? Do you
think your disability has to do with that?
And Hawking said:
"I'm sure my disability has to do with why people are fascinated by
the contrast between my very limited physical powers, and the vast
nature of the universe I deal with. I'm the archetype of a disabled
genius, or rather, a physically challenged genius, to be precise. At
least I'm obviously with physical disabilities. If I am a genius that is
more open to doubt.

12. Hawking in Oviedo (northern Spain), April 2005,
for opening acts of the XXV anniversary of the
Prince of Asturias Awards. He had received, in
1989, the Prince of Asturias Award for Concord,
both for scientific as the example of his response
to adversity in their fight against amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS).
In his speech at that time said:
"There are good scientific programs on television,
but some have only scientific marvels as
something magical, without explaining whether or
not to show how they fit into the framework of
science. The producers of scientific programs for
television should realize they have a responsibility
to educate the public, not just to entertain. "