“In less than a hundred years, we have found a new way to think of ourselves. From sitting at the center of the universe, we now find ourselves orbiting an average-sized sun, which is just one of millions of stars in our own Milky Way galaxy.”

English theoretical astrophysicist, cosmologist, and author

Stephen Hawking was an English theoretical astrophysicist, cosmologist, and author. He was director of research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge, and from 1979 to 2009 he held the Lucasian Professorship of Mathematics there. He is known for his work in theoretical astrophysics and cosmology, as well as for his writing. His career was closely associated with Cambridge, where he occupied a post widely regarded as among the most prestigious in academic life.