STEPHEN Hawking famously could communicate at a rate of around one word a minute. That was how long it took the theoretical physicist to get his thoughts out through the technology that translated his eye movements into voice. When I think about why so many people have been moved, over the past week, by the passing of this man, I keep coming back to this, his voice, how he communicated, and why that resonated. For his was one of the most recognisable of contemporary voices. Read many of the Hawking quotes that have been circulating the internet over the past week, and it's as if you can hear that voice, mechanical and distinctive, so deadpan that you were always expect a gag – and often it came. “Black holes,” he once said, “ain't as black as they are painted. They are not the eternal prisons they were once thought. Things can get out of a black hole, both to the outside, and possibly, to another universe. So, if you feel you are in a black hole, don't give up. There's a way out."
That voice knew how to make us laugh. When Hawking was interviewed by television host John Oliver, he was asked: "You've stated that you believe there could be an infinite number of parallel universes. Does that mean that there is a universe out there where I am smarter than you?" Hawking replied: "Yes. And also a universe where you're funny."
It is testimony to the global impact of this man that everyone from Katy Perry to astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, seems to have felt something about his loss. He was, of course, a remarkable human being – a huge intellect, yet human and entertaining, and with a liking for the ladies. Even his longevity given his diagnosis with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is something to marvel at.
But when public figures die and we mourn, often we are grieving over not just them, as people, or even the cultural loss, but something about ourselves we see passing, or perhaps feel we never had.
The voice was part of that. It mattered, particularly in the noisy, clamouring, shouty world of today, in which sometimes it seems the imperative is to speak first and think later. He was someone that, because of his disease, was forced to speak slowly, with deliberation – a fact which must have been of great frustration to him – yet held universes in his head.
In these anxious times, the disappearance of Hawking is a blow. Even his political comments, about the value of the NHS, or the dangers of artificial intelligence, will be missed. But it’s his presence as a link to the workings of the universe that is the biggest loss.
For that voice of his, since it brought us theoretical physics, seemed to almost put us in touch with the slow, long beat of the universe, a place beyond our daily concerns, beyond the shoutings of social media. It also appealed that the universe, delivered to us through Hawking, came with a sense of humour.
Above all, he was a reminder that slow and deep is better than fast and shallow, and that it’s hard work and persistence that counts. “Don’t give up,” he said. And on another occasion: "However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. While there's life, there is hope."
Of course, so incredibly few of us stand any chance of being able to think like Hawking. But the idea of sticking to a thought, an idea, and working it through in the big caverns of the mind before blurting it out, is not something only for Hawking. It’s for all of us. We might not want to take it down to one word a minute. But the long, rich pause could work for us all.
OUTSIDE PORN, WOMEN'S BODIES ARE A MARVELLOUS VARIETY
One of the great progresses since I was a teen is that young people seem to know a lot more about vaginas – or, to put it more correctly, vulvas. But, as is clear from the fact that Brook Sexual Health has felt the need to publish 'What Is A Vulva Anyway?' - a guide to the wealth of shapes of female genitalia - that progress has only taken us so far. “It’s difficult to know what a “normal vulva is” the publication says. “You don’t really get to see other peoples so it’s difficult to appreciate that labia come in different shapes and sizes. If you have seen any porn you might have seen vulvas looking a particular way.”
When I was a youngster we didn’t worry so much about what was normal in a vulva because normality was genuinely a mystery. Why change the arrangement you had down there, when you didn’t even know what it should be changed to? Now, however, the pressure is on to have genitalia that are so-called 'normal', according to a standard created by the culture. According to NHS figures, in 2015-16, more than 200 girls under 18 had labiaplasty and more than 150 of the girls were under 15.
Hence, the Brooks leaflet, is necessary – indeed we need more of this. We need more to counter the images and influences out there that are making young women feel there is something not quite right about them. As with all things human, there is no normal. Only marvellous and wonderful variety.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel