STEPHEN HAWKING A Life in Science Copyright © 2003 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF File provided by the National Academies Press (www.nap.edu) for research purposes are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Distribution, posting, or copying is strictly prohibited without written permission of the NAP. Generated for on Sat Nov 29 17:02:42 2003 Other books by Michael White include: Acid Tongues and Tranquil Dreamers: Tales of Bitter Rivalry that Fueled the Advancement of Science and Technology Darwin: A Life in Science (with John Gribbin) Einstein: A Life in Science (with John Gribbin) Isaac Newton: The Last Sorcerer Leonardo: The First Scientist Life Out There: The Truth of—and Search for—Extraterrestrial Life The Pope and the Heretic: A True Story of Courage and Murder at the Hands of the Inquisition Weird Science: An Expert Explains Ghosts, Voodoo, the UFO Conspiracy, and Other Paranormal Phenomena Thompson Twin: An 80’s Memoir Tolkein: A Biography Other books by John Gribbin include: Almost Everyone’s Guide to Science The Birth of Time: How Astronomers Measured the Age of the Universe A Brief History of Science The Case of the Missing Neutrinos: And Other Curious Phenomena of the Universe Companion to the Cosmos Empire of the Sun: Planets and Moons of the Solar System (with Simon Goodwin) Eyewitness: Time & Space (with Mary Gribbin) Fire on Earth: Doomsday, Dinosaurs, and Humankind (with Mary Gribbin) Hyperspace: The Universe and Its Mysteries In Search of Schrödinger’s Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality In Search of the Big Bang: The Life and Death of the Universe In Search of the Double Helix In Search of the Edge of Time: Black Holes, White Holes, Wormholes In the Beginning: The Birth of the Living Universe Origins: Our Place in Hubble’s Universe (with Simon Goodwin) Q Is for Quantum: An Encyclopedia of Particle Physics Richard Feynman: A Life in Science (with Mary Gribbin) Schrödinger’s Kittens and the Search for Reality: Solving the Quantum Mysteries The Search for Superstrings, Symmetry, and the Theory of Everything Stardust: Supernovae and Life: The Cosmic Connection (with Mary Gribbin) XTL: Extraterrestrial Life and How to Find It (with Simon Goodwin) Copyright © 2003 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF File provided by the National Academies Press (www.nap.edu) for research purposes are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Distribution, posting, or copying is strictly prohibited without written permission of the NAP. Generated for on Sat Nov 29 17:02:42 2003 STEPHEN HAWKING A Life in Science New Updated Edition Michael White and John Gribbin The Joseph Henry Press Washington, D.C. Copyright © 2003 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF File provided by the National Academies Press (www.nap.edu) for research purposes are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Distribution, posting, or copying is strictly prohibited without written permission of the NAP. Generated for on Sat Nov 29 17:02:42 2003 Joseph Henry Press • 2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W. • Washington, D.C. 20418 The Joseph Henry Press, an imprint of the National Academy Press, was created with the goal of making books on science, technology, and health more widely available to professionals and the public. Joseph Henry was one of the founders of the National Academy of Sciences and a leader in early American science. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this volume are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Academy of Sciences or its affiliated institutions. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data White, Michael, 1959- Stephen Hawking : a life in science / Michael White and John Gribbin.— New updated ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-309-08410-5 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Hawking, S. W. (Stephen W.) 2. Astrophysics. 3. Physicists—Great Britain—Biography. I. Gribbin, John R. II. Title. QC16.H33 W45 2002 530′.092—dc21 2002011961 Copyright 1992, 1998, 2002 by Michael White and John Gribbin. All rights reserved. The first edition of this work was published by Viking in 1992. Extracts from A Brief History of Time, copyright Stephen Hawking, 1988, reprinted by permission of Writers House, Inc., New York. Printed in the United States of America. Copyright © 2003 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF File provided by the National Academies Press (www.nap.edu) for research purposes are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Distribution, posting, or copying is strictly prohibited without written permission of the NAP. Generated for on Sat Nov 29 17:02:42 2003 Contents v Preface vii Acknowledgments xi 1. The Day Galileo Died 1 2. Classical Cosmology 21 3. Going Up 40 4. Doctors and Doctorates 56 5. From Black Holes to the Big Bang 74 6. Marriage and Fellowship 87 7. Singular Solutions 104 8. The Breakthrough Years 117 9. When Black Holes Explode 135 10. The Foothills of Fame 152 Copyright © 2003 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF File provided by the National Academies Press (www.nap.edu) for research purposes are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Distribution, posting, or copying is strictly prohibited without written permission of the NAP. Generated for on Sat Nov 29 17:02:42 2003 11. Back to the Beginning 175 12. Science Celebrity 187 13. When the Universe Has Babies 207 14. A Brief History of Time 220 15. The End of Physics? 252 16. Hollywood, Fame, and Fortune 265 17. A Brief History of Time Travel 292 18. Stephen Hawking: Superstar 304 Notes 322 About the Authors 329 Index 331 Contents vi Copyright © 2003 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF File provided by the National Academies Press (www.nap.edu) for research purposes are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Distribution, posting, or copying is strictly prohibited without written permission of the NAP. Generated for on Sat Nov 29 17:02:42 2003 Preface vii When Stephen Hawking was involved in a minor road accident in Cambridge city center early in 1991, within twelve hours American TV networks were on the phone to his publisher, Bantam, for a low- down on the story. The fact that he suffered only minor injuries and was back at his desk within days was irrelevant. But then anything about Stephen Hawking is newsworthy. This would never have happened to any other scientist in the world. Apart from the fact that physicists are seen as somehow different from other human beings, existing outside the normal patterns of human life, there is no other scientist alive as famous as Stephen Hawking. But Stephen Hawking is no ordinary scientist. His book A Brief History of Time has notched up worldwide sales in the millions— publishing statistics usually associated with the likes of Jeffrey Archer and Stephen King. What is even more astonishing is that Hawking’s book deals with a subject so far removed from normal bedtime reading that the prospect of tackling such a text would send the average person into a paroxysm of inadequacy. Yet, as the world knows, Professor Hawking’s book is a massive hit and has Copyright © 2003 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF File provided by the National Academies Press (www.nap.edu) for research purposes are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Distribution, posting, or copying is strictly prohibited without written permission of the NAP. Generated for on Sat Nov 29 17:02:42 2003 made his name around the world. Somehow he has managed to circumvent prejudice and to communicate his esoteric theories directly to the lay reader. However, Stephen Hawking’s story does not begin or end with A Brief History of Time. First and foremost, he is a very fine scientist. Indeed, he was already established at the cutting edge of theoretical physics long before the general public was even aware of his exis- tence. His career as a scientist began over thirty years ago when he embarked on cosmological research at Cambridge University. During those thirty years, he has perhaps done more than anyone to push back the boundaries of our understanding of the Universe. His theoretical work on black holes and his progress in advancing our understanding of the origin and nature of the Universe have been groundbreaking and often revolutionary. As his career has soared, he has led a domestic life as alien to most people as his work is esoteric. At the age of twenty-one Hawking discovered that he had the wasting disease ALS, also called motor neuron disease, and he has spent much of his life con- fined to a wheelchair. However, he simply has not allowed his ill- ness to hinder his scientific development. In fact, many would argue that his liberation from the routine chores of life has enabled him to make greater progress than if he were able bodied. He has achieved global fame as a science popularizer with his multimillion-selling book, and more recently a BBC television series, Stephen Hawking’s Universe, while maintaining a high-powered career as a physicist. Stephen Hawking does not like to dwell too much on his disabil- ities, and even less on his personal life. He would rather people thought of him as a scientist first, popular science writer second, and, in all the ways that matter, a normal human being with the same desires, drives, dreams, and ambitions as the next person. In this book we have tried our best to respect his wishes and have endeavored to paint a picture of a man with talents in abundance, Preface viii Copyright © 2003 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF File provided by the National Academies Press (www.nap.edu) for research purposes are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Distribution, posting, or copying is strictly prohibited without written permission of the NAP. Generated for on Sat Nov 29 17:02:42 2003 but nonetheless a man like any other. In attempting to describe Professor Hawking’s work as well as the life of the man behind the science, we hope to enable the reader to see both from different perspectives. Although there are inevitable overlaps in the story, we hope this will help to place the science within the human context—indeed, to show that, for Stephen Hawking, science and life are inextricably linked. Michael White, Perth John Gribbin, Lewes September 2002 Preface ix Copyright © 2003 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF File provided by the National Academies Press (www.nap.edu) for research purposes are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Distribution, posting, or copying is strictly prohibited without written permission of the NAP. Generated for on Sat Nov 29 17:02:42 2003 Copyright © 2003 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF File provided by the National Academies Press (www.nap.edu) for research purposes are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Distribution, posting, or copying is strictly prohibited without written permission of the NAP. Generated for on Sat Nov 29 17:02:42 2003 [...]... world, the war was reaching a crucial stage A month earlier, on December 7, the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor and the USA had joined the war To the east the Soviet army was fighting back Hitler’s troops in the Crimea, bringing about the Copyright © 2003 National Academy of Sciences All rights reserved Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF File provided by the National Academies Press... they began to fall apart; wallpaper was allowed to dangle where it had peeled through old age; and there were many places along the hallway and behind doors where plaster had fallen away, leaving gaping holes in the wall Copyright © 2003 National Academy of Sciences All rights reserved Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF File provided by the National Academies Press (www.nap.edu)... boys taking eight or nine examinations Those who were successful at O Level would usually stay on to sit for Advanced (A) Levels in preparation for university two years later In 1952 there were on average three applicants for every place at St Albans School and, as with Westminster, each prospective candidate had to take an entrance examination Stephen was well prepared He passed easily and, along... war, Frank Hawking was appointed head of the Division of Parasitology at the National Institute of Medical Research The family stayed on in the house in Highgate until 1950, when they moved twenty miles north to a large rambling house at 14 Hillside Road in the city of St Albans in Hertfordshire St Albans is a small city dominated by its cathedral, which can trace its foundation back to the year A. D... coat Everyone at the table turns her way as she approaches, and there is an air of hushed expectation as she smiles across at them and says “Hello” to the gathering She appears far younger than her years and looks terribly glamorous, a fact exaggerated by the general scruffiness of the young people at the table Only the older man in the wheelchair is neatly dressed, in a plain jacket and neatly pressed... day of the examination arrived and Stephen fell ill He never sat for the entrance paper and consequently never obtained a place at one of England’s best schools Disappointed, Dr Hawking enrolled his son at the local private school, St Albans School, a well-known and academically excellent abbey school which had close ties with the cathedral extending back, according to some accounts, to the year A. D... on mathematics homework and still obtain full marks As a contemporary recalled, “He had incredible, instinctive insight While I would be worrying away at a complicated mathematical solution to a problem, he just knew the answer—he didn’t have to Copyright © 2003 National Academy of Sciences All rights reserved Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF File provided by the National Academies... in Latin, a year later, midway through his Advanced Levels When he sat down to decide on his A Level subjects, parental pressure began to play a part in his plans He wanted to do mathematics, physics, and further mathematics in preparation for a university course in physics or mathematics However, Frank Hawking had other plans He wanted his son to follow him into a career in medicine, for which Stephen. .. that in her case led to active membership in the St Albans Liberal Association in the 1950s By then the Liberal Party was only a minor parliamentary force with just a handful of MPs, but at the grassroots level it remained a lively forum for political discussion, often taking the lead, during the 1950s and 1960s, on many issues of the time, including nuclear disarmament and opposition to apartheid Stephen. .. The Hawking family was definitely an eccentric lot In many ways they were a typically bookish family, but with a streak of originality and social awareness that made them ahead of their time One contemporary of Hawking’s has described them as “bluestocking.” There were a lot of them; one photograph from the family album includes eighty-eight Hawkings Stephen s parents did some pretty oddball things . the National Academy of Sciences or its affiliated institutions. Library of Congress Cataloging -in- Publication Data White, Michael, 195 9- Stephen Hawking : a life in science / Michael White and. School and, as with Westminster, each prospective can- didate had to take an entrance examination. Stephen was well pre- pared. He passed easily and, along with exactly ninety other boys, was accepted. is a commotion at the restaurant’s entrance. A few moments later, the headwaiter walks toward the table escorting a smiling redhead in a fake-fur coat. Everyone at the table turns her way as