Would Stephen Hawking be as famous without his condition?

Question

Does it take a setback in life sometimes to propel us farther than we would have gone normally?

Answer 1

I have heard him say himself that he wasn't pushing himself as much as he could academically until he realised he was ill.

It's also certainly true, that although he is a great scientist, his fame is driven by his condition. He has never won the Nobel prize, and I think Prof Hawking would be the first to admit that there are other living theoretical physicists whose achievements equal or surpass his own. People respect him both for his physics and for the obstacles he has had to overcome. And that is absolutely right.

Answer 2

No, but not for the reason you suggest. I believe people are famous because they are icons - think Einstein's hair, John Wayne's drawl and swagger, J-Lo's insured butt, Andy Warhol's hair, etc. I mean, there needs to be some underlying talent or event that propels one to the forefront of media, but ultimately a powerful visual makes one memorable and increase their fame. I think this is the case with Stephen Hawking. A brilliant man with some very interesting theories and work that brought him to the forefront. His physical appearance helps us remember him and makes him seem more amazing.

Setbacks can propel some to further their accomplishments or destroy others. I think there are probably more famous people who never had a major setback to the likes of Hawking then there are that do.

Answer 3

Within his own field probably, yes.

There must be, across the entire range of scientific disciplines, other figures whose contribution to furthering knowledge in their fields rivals Stephen Hawking's - but they are unlikely to become as popularly-known, or to attract much media attention beyond that offered by scientific publications.

It's quite possible that his setback may have motivated him strongly - I think he said something to this effect in an interview once.

Answer 4

That is a good point. I think he might have achieved something though. He has a way of using normal language to bring advanced ideas to the masses.

Other physicists probably resent his success.

If he finds a suitable dimension, he might even leave his wheelchair behind and become an advanced Hawking race... Star Trek style.

Answer 5

Good question. Hard to say, really. You've probably heard of the genetics vs. environment debate. One could argue that his environment or the way he was raised had a good deal to do with his current success and his ability to overcome his disabilities. Had he been raised in other circumstances, he might not have been able to hone his mind to such a fine degree. But one could also argue that with such a fine mind, he would likely have succeeded anyway. Although I do know some people who are very smart but have done little with their lives. Personally, I think he would have succeeded anyway had he not had his disability.

Answer 6

Yes, I think he would be famous without his condition...

It depends on the person who wishes to propel farther.

Answer 7

I think that if Stephen Hawking's was born in ancient Sparta this question wouldn't even have happened, but yes disability's make people compensate for there weakness, look at Einstein when they they cut his brain open and examined it they found that he had Dyslexia and they think that it was this part of his brain that contributed to his genius.

Answer 8

A better question is would he have become such a great scientist without his condition? It is has been said by those close to him that this would not have been his profession had he been healthy. Necessity is the mother of invention and his illness made him a better scientist.

Answer 9

He'd still be famous yes just not quite so famous as he is now.
I know this is harsh but the truth is his disability makes him more interesting.
the electronic voice synthesizer he uses is instantly recognizable and always associated with him. Even though he is not the only disabled person in the world who uses one.

Answer 10

I think that Dr. Hawking would be just as highly respected in scientific circles, due to the brilliance of his theories. However, I think it's possible that he would be less recognizable to the public if he did not suffer from quadriplegia. Certainly, he'd be less memorable.