Stephen Hawking: A look back at some of his greatest achievements

CAMBRIDGE, England - Dr. Stephen Hawking passed away at the age of 76 on Tuesday. To celebrate his life, here’s a look at just a few of his most incredible achievements:

• Hawking discovered that not everything gets trapped in a black hole and that they do emit some radiation and particles. This is known as “Hawking radiation.”
• Throughout his career, Hawking would combine quantum physics and general relativity to discover more than anyone else about the nature of black holes and, in turn, the nature of the universe itself and how it was first created.
• Almost as impressive, Hawking took these impossibly complicated subjects and made them understandable for everyone. His book “A Brief History of Time” has sold over 10 million copies and Hawking wrote or co-wrote 11 other books for the general public.
• And perhaps one of Stephen Hawking’s greatest achievements of all: When he was 21 he was diagnosed with a rare form of ALS. Doctors told him he had three years to live. Hawking would go on to live for another 55 years.

Thank you Dr. Hawking for all you’ve given the world of science and for inspiring us to look up to the stars every night.