“To my mathematical brain, the numbers alone make thinking about aliens perfectly rational. The real challenge is to work out what aliens might actually be like.”

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.