Everyone from NASA to the cast of The Big Bang Theory is reacting Wednesday to the death of acclaimed physicist Stephen Hawking, known for his work on understanding the nature of black holes.
Hawking was the rare scientist who achieved fame in both an esoteric field and popular culture, as Wednesday’s outpouring of eulogies shows. His passing was noted by actress Mia Farrow, Apple CEO Tim Cook, former President Barack Obama and U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May.
Hawking lived with significant disabilities caused by ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, which required him to use wheelchairs to get around and a speech synthesizer for communication. Many remembrances focused on that aspect of his life — including near-miss wheelchair crashes.
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