Stephen Hawking, a widely known physicist, sometimes mistaken as cosmetician, died Wednesday after complications due to ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a progressive neurodegenerative disease. He was 76.
Coverage at BBC (obituary), The Guardian, Reuters, NPR, and The Huffington Post.
janrinok writes:
It is with sadness that we hear the news this morning in the UK that Stephen Hawking has died at the age of 76. Diagnosed with a type of motor neuron disease disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) in 1964, he was told that he would have only a few years to live. But he confounded many experts and led life to the fullest within his personal limitations.
While he undoubtedly suffered as a result of his physical disabilities, it was his mental powers that set him apart from most of the human race. His book - A Brief History of Time - sold over 16 million copies, but it is said that it was probably read by a much smaller number of people, and understood by even fewer.
I hope that others here will contribute their own memories of the man and his achievements as the following days progress.
Rest in Peace - Stephen Hawking.
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(Score: 3, Informative) by Booga1 on Wednesday March 14 2018, @06:56PM
I can't seem to find his actual flight date(if that was ever set), but he did at least get to fly on at least one "zero-g" test flight:
http://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/10777/20170322/stephen-hawking-books-ticket-space-board-richard-bransons-virgin-galactic.htm [sciencetimes.com]