Science in mourning
(London) “It is amazing how Stephen Hawking has been able to completely flip the image of what we all consider to be a successful man. He rose to fame despite being wheelchair-bound and forced to use a voice synthesiser to speak. His imperfect body reminds us how important it is to love our limits and try to go beyond them”. In an interview with SIR news agency, Heather Widdows, professor of moral philosophy at the University of Birmingham, remembers the famous scientist who died this morning and is renowned in the scientific world for his “no boundary” theory about the origin of the universe and black hole thermodynamics. “Stephen Hawking fought strongly for the rights of people with disabilities”, professor Widdows said. “Our culture often presents us with an image of a perfect body to which we must all aspire, and this scientist showed us how false and empty this ideal is”. Among the countless tributes paid to Hawking is also that of the Anglican Primate Justin Welby who called “limitless” his contribution to science, and said that Hawking had lived “with bravery and passion”. The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, said: “Stephen Hawking was a giant of science and humanity”. His “hope and trust enabled him to keep the greatest equaliser -Death- at a long distance. May the Angels of God welcome” him.
