Today, on the 14th of March, 2018, the human race has suffered an immeasurable loss.
The loss of a man who was not only one of the greatest scientists of all times and one of the most influential people on the planet, but also a model and inspiration for many of us.
Stephen Hawking was a man of exceptional power of spirit and a model of civic stance. He changed the way we perceive our Universe, our time and ourselves, and did it with his unique talent of communication and gentle, Hawking-style sense of humour.
I took many of the photographs that appear in this video during my work for Starmus III in the Canary Islands, with Nobel Prize winners, scientists, astronauts and artists.
Although Stephen Hawking left a rich legacy of both academic and science popularisation texts, we will miss his hilarious personality and his outstanding ability to make this world a better place, whatever he did and wherever he happened to be.
He was a point of reference for scientists and science lovers and member of Starmus Advisory Board. The Stephen Hawking Medal, awarded to the most successful science communicators, will keep his legacy and continue to inspire science lovers in the name of Stephen Hawking.
To many of us, Stephen Hawking was a symbol – a symbol of the immense capabilities of the human being, a symbol of never surrendering mind, and of science itself. It strikes us as quite symbolic that he was born on Kepler’s birthday, 300 years later, passed away on Einstein’s birthday, and, like Einstein, lived to the age of 76.
We will keep this symbol in our hearts and follow the path he craved for us.
Rest in peace, Professor Hawking!
