A legacy that will be cherished
The other night, I was reading the second part of the Hithchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy trilogy, when I came across time travel, and that led me to think about time machines, the grandfather paradox, and finally, about Stephen Hawking (“Physicist Stephen Hawking dies aged 76”, Gulf News, March 14). The next morning, at work, I was checking my newsfeed when I saw what struck me like a lightning bolt — the tragic news of the demise of one of the world’s greatest physicists. Hawking’s death has left a huge void in space-time, a void that will not be filled any time soon. This magnificent personality was a black hole of a kind that attracted the hearts and minds of many — physics geeks, science fiction lovers and many more. His work on black holes and the great mystery of time has inspired many young people, as much as the magic he has done in the world of science, while battling the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for decades. Hawking was one of the famous people I would always quote while trying to get a point across, in the confidence that I could get people to listen to me — not just myself, but many aspiring scientists out in the world. While his death has brought tears to many of us, he has left behind a legacy to be cherished till the end of time, till everything collapses, the way he said it will.
From Ms Maria Vincent
USA
A true legend
I was deeply shocked at the death of one of the greatest scientists of time – Stephen Hawking. He died peacefully at his home in Cambridge, UK. The British scientist was famous for his work with black holes and relativity, and wrote several popular books, including A Brief History of Time. He has left a legacy to live by. Even though he suffered from a rare motor neuron disease, he had a wicked sense of humour and left behind a great many discoveries. He once said: “It would not be much of universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love.” We will miss him forever.
From Ms Annet Cecil Thomas
UAE
An inspiration for all
The death of Stephen Hawking came as a shock to me. The world has lost a legend. Hawking has contributed significantly to science and his insights will be missed. He beat the odds and is an inspiration for those suffering from ALS, as well as the rest of the world. His quotes and teachings will be passed on from generations to come.
From Ms Sujata M.
India
Full name withheld on request
Wait for the investigation
It was really disturbing to watch a video of a man lying in a hospital bed with his amputated leg as a pillow (“Man’s amputated leg used as pillow”, Gulf News, March 12). Let’s take a step back and address this logically. We are in the era of WhatsApp and Facebook. This video was released by a television channel and I really wonder why any human being would do this? I feel this was done to draw attention or to target a specific group. I do agree that there has been extreme carelessness in the case involving the death of a lot of children due to lack of oxygen tanks in some Indian hospitals. But someone propping up a patient’s head with his own amputated leg? We need to think twice. No man with common sense would do this. Why was this video going viral? We are easily attracted by unnatural things. We get carried away by such news. Let the investigation reveal the truth. We need to wait before we start pulling words from our vocabulary to malign the people in power and the hospital authorities.
From Mr Murugesh S. S. Sivam
Dubai
Don’t just preach, practice
It is really surprising that the Makkal Neethi Maiam (MNM) party founder, Kamal Haasan, has made a direct attack against Rajanikanth about his silence on many state-related issues in India. Though I am not a fan of Rajanikanth or Haasan, out of the two, I feel like Rajani is a man of action and he would preach only what he can practice. No doubt, Haasan and the working President of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin, are both are very critical of Tamil Nadu’s state administration. Since both claim to be in the good books of the Kerala and Karnataka Chief Ministers, why can’t they force the Congress Party Chief to advice the Karnataka Chief Minister to cooperate with the Tamil Nadu government and to set up the Cauvery Water Tribunal as per the Supreme Court verdict? It is easy to preach but not to put it into practice!
From Mr N. Mahadevan
India
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