The renowned scientist transformed how we look at the universe and black holes.
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| Professor Stephen Hawking has died at 76. |
Stephen Hawking, a renowned British theoretical physicist and cosmologist who sought to explain the universe to millions, died Tuesday at the age of 76, his family said late Tuesday.
"We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today," his children said in a statement to Sky News. "He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years."
Hawking was perhaps the most famous scientist of his time. His work focused on black holes -- dying stars that have collapsed upon themselves, forming a core of such density and strong gravitational attraction that nothing, not even light, can escape from it.
He also made the theoretical prediction that black holes emit radiation that would eventually evaporate, often referred to as Hawking radiation. At first he thought his 1970 discovery actually the result of a mistake in his calculation. But he was eventually persuaded that his formula was accurate.
"I would like this simple formula to be on my tombstone," he said at his 60th birthday celebration in 2002.
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