Hawking was admitted to Oxford University in 1959 and studied the degree course of physics in the University College of Oxford University. He studied cosmology at Cambridge University in 1962 and was awarded a doctorate in 1965.
At Oxford University, no one has a high IQ
Hawking’s high IQ makes him careless in his study. He doesn’t have to spend a lot of time to complete all kinds of homework and papers like other students. He can easily control the university courses with little time.
Once, after the professor finished a chapter of electromagnetism, he asked four students, including Hawking, to do 13 exercises in the exercises behind the textbook. Because the course is too profound and the exercises are extremely complex, the professor said earnestly, “you should finish these 13 exercises as much as possible.”
In the following week, two students spent nine cattle and two tigers to solve one and a half exercises, and they were quite complacent. The third student tried his best to solve only one problem. As before, Huo Jin didn’t pay attention to his homework at all. He didn’t look at 13 exercises.
It was about to have another electromagnetism class. The classmate asked Hawking, “do you think these questions are quite difficult?” Hawking replied that he hadn’t done them yet. The three students advised him that it was best to do it quickly. It was very difficult. Hawking looked at the three students carefully, nodded and continued to look down at science fiction. After a class, when the three students came back to see Hawking again, they asked Hawking how many questions he had made? Hawking replied, “the time is too short, I only have time to do the first ten questions…” the students thought Hawking was joking, but after reading Hawking’s manuscript, they knew that the three of them worked out two and a half questions in a week, but Hawking made the first ten questions in a very short time.
Students are really aware that they are not only not at the same level as Hawking, but also very different.
The tutors of Oxford University are also willing to bow down
Patrick Sanders was Hawking’s mentor. Once, after a class in Jiangwan statistical physics, sandas asked the students to take a serious look at the designated teaching materials. Although he knew that Hawking was least interested in homework, she still asked or only completed the two assigned questions. At the next class, Hawking said to the teacher, “I can’t solve the problem you specified.” Sanders was very surprised and asked why? Hawking opened the textbook and spent more than 20 minutes from beginning to end pointing out all the mistakes in the book. Then the two of them seriously discussed these mistakes.
Sanders later became a professor of experimental physics at Oxford University. He once said to others, “I knew at that time that Hawking knew more about the course than I did.”
03 at Cambridge University, he showed his edge and challenged authority
During his doctorate in cosmology at Cambridge University, at an academic seminar, the famous British astronomer Hoyle read out and explained some of his main views and arguments on the “steady state theory”. After the speech, as usual, Hoyle quietly waited for everyone to express their approval and respect. But he never thought that an unknown doctoral student in his early twenties would stand up and criticize his thesis. This young man is Hawking. Hawking’s condition was getting worse and worse at that time. He struggled to stand up and said to Hoyle, “the quantity you discussed in the calculation is divergent, you are wrong.” everyone was surprised and thought that the young doctoral student was too reckless. Hoyle was also angered and asked Hawking, “how do you know it’s wrong?” Hawking replied confidently and calmly, “I’ve counted it.” a burst of laughter sounded in the house, and Hoyle was very embarrassed. Hawking proved Hoyle’s calculation was wrong in a very short time, and he became a little famous from then on.
04 conclusion
Hawking once said that no matter what you encounter now, don’t avoid it. Solving and facing it is the most important thing to do. Regretting the choices of the past, worrying about the losses of today and worrying about the difficulties of tomorrow will only increase the difficulty of current life, and nothing else. God took away the genius Hawking. His theory and thought are like radiation in a black hole. From the place where light can’t escape, he spread his shining thought and the glory of human nature to the world.
