7 Awesome Similarities Between Stephen Hawking & Albert Einstein That Will Blow Your Mind Away

On March 14, we lost one of the greatest minds of our time. Iconic physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking passed away at age 76, after a decades long battle with ALS.

It¡¯s a pretty crazy coincidence that, being a mathematician as well, he dies on Pi day, which also happens to be the birth anniversary of Albert Einstein. In fact, Twitter was quick to note that Einstein also passed away at the age of 76.

So what else do the two legendary minds have in common?

1. Brains built for only one purpose

Hawking was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) at a very early age. ALS is a neuro-degenerative disease that slowly erodes nerves that control voluntary movement, rendering him wheelchair-bound for most of his life. However, even Einstein wasn¡¯t entirely fully functional. He suffered from a mild case of Asperger¡¯s syndrome, a developmental disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication, as well as attention deficit disorder (ADD)

2. Both Einstein and Hawking married twice in their lifetime

Einstein divorced his first wife Mileva Maric to marry Elsa Lowenthal, whom he stayed with till her death. Hawking also divorced his wife of 30 years, Jane Wilde, to marry Elaine Mason but later divorced her too.

Albert Einstein with Rabindranath Tagore

3. Einstein and Hawking were captivated by the universe

Both Hawking and Einstein were interested in the vastness of space, black holes, wormholes, and time travel. However, Einstein looked at things from a relativistic point of view while Hawking focused more on quantum physics.

4. Hawking and Einstein thought their ideas were stupid

Both scientists deemed one of their ideas the ¡°biggest blunder¡± they had made. For Einstein, that blunder was the cosmological constant he introduced into equations for general relativity. For Hawking, the blunder was supposed ¡°information loss¡± in black holes.

reuters

5. Both of their lives captivated popular culture

Einstein has been revered by Hollywood, with movies like ¡®Einstein and Eddington¡¯ (2008), ¡®Young Einstein¡¯(1988), ¡®Einstein¡¯s Big Idea¡¯(2005), and ¡®Einstein Revealed¡¯ (1996), all celebrating his life and work. Hawking also inspired movies like ¡®The Theory of Everything¡¯ (2014), ¡®A Brief History of Time¡¯ (1991), ¡®Beyond the Horizon¡¯ (2005), and ¡®Hawking¡¯ (2013). However, he was a familiar face in pop culture as well, having appeared for cameos in shows like ¡®The Simpsons¡¯, ¡®The Big Bang Theory¡¯, ¡®Futurama, and ¡®Star Trek: The Next Generation¡¯, as part of his science outreach efforts.

6. They had a great sense of humour

A healthy sense of humour is considered a sign of intelligence. When a photographer persuaded Einstein to smile during his 72nd birthday, he stuck out his tongue, creating one of the most iconic pictures of all time. Einstein was known for his childlike sense of humour, and he also claimed that humour powered his brilliant intellect.

AFP

The great thing about Hawking was his incredible sense of humour. Everyone from classroom students to celebrities like John Oliver, fondly remember Hawking's amazing one-liners that underscored his genius.

7. March 14 connection

Hawking passed away on Einstein's birthday -- March 14. Coincidence? Maybe. Also both Einstein and Hawking passed away when they were 76 years old. Gone but never forgotten!