World-famous physicist Stephen Hawking died Tuesday at the age of 76.
Hawking’s three children released a statement confirming the scientist died late Tuesday at his home in Cambridge, England, the Guardian reported.
“We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today,” the statement said. “He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years. His courage and persistence with his brilliance and humour inspired people across the world. He once said, ‘It would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love.’ We will miss him for ever.”
A highly decorated scientist, Hawking became paralyzed in his 20s spent most of his life in a wheelchair due to a motor neuron disease.
He was most well known for his theoretical work released in the 1970s explaining black holes and the origin of the universe using quantum physics. His 1988 book, A Brief of History of Time, skyrocketed him to mainstream fame.
The influence of Hawking’s work was so vast that he reached celebrity status, and during his life, he appeared on shows like Star Trek and The Simpsons.
Fellow astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson mourned Hawking’s death on Twitter with a photo of the pair.
His passing has left an intellectual vacuum in his wake. But it's not empty. Think of it as a kind of vacuum energy permeating the fabric of spacetime that defies measure. Stephen Hawking, RIP 1942-2018. pic.twitter.com/nAanMySqkt
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) March 14, 2018
H/T the Guardian