Stephen Hawking: Master of the Universe

Stephen Hawking: Master of the Universe
Posted on Monday April, 26 2010 | 0 Comments
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A portrait of the most famous scientist in the world, Prof Stephen Hawking, and an attempt to explain his work to non-scientific types. This excellent documentary from Channel 4 does very well to convey the basics of quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity in an easy-to-understand manner, as well as to acquaint viewers with Prof Stephen Hawking's extraordinary life, mission and character. A thoroughly enjoyable, inspiring and enlightening watch!

Stephen Hawking is the most famous scientist on the planet. In his post as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University, he counts Sir Isaac Newton (1642--1727) amongst his predecessors. And he was born 300 years to the day after the avant-garde astronomer, Galileo Galilei (1564--1642).

Following a devastating diagnosis of motor neurone disease in 1963, Hawking was given two years to live. Yet 44 years later, he still hopes to solve the big problem of physics, that of unifying quantum mechanics and Einstein's theory of relativity. Doing so will produce a set of laws that will explain everything in the universe, including how it all began - a breakthrough aptly dubbed the 'Theory of Everything'.

Hawking felt that he was on the brink of this breakthrough a long time ago. When he published his surprising best-seller 'A Brief History of Time' in 1988, he expressed a certainty that the Theory of Everything was imminent. However, twenty years later, it still eludes Hawking and the scientific community.

Frustratingly, Hawking's condition is worsening. His only way of communicating now is through one cheek muscle. Will he find the theory before it is too late?

This two-episode documentary from the UK's Channel 4 is both a portrait of Hawking and an attempt to explain his work to non-scientific types. It conveys the basics of quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity in an easy-to-understand manner and does very well to acquaint viewers with Hawking's extraordinary life and character. A thoroughly enjoyable, inspiring and enlightening series!