Making quantum physics fun again: Hawking the meme and pop culture icon
Physicist Stephen Hawking was a man of infinite intelligence, one who made radical contributions in the field of science and technology—his theories of black hole radiation (black holes emit heat and go out of existence) and breakthroughs in quantum physical had elevated him to the pedestal of demigods like Albert Einstein. He retained his impish sense of humour even after years of relegation to the wheelchair, and slow loss of motor functions, as the deadly Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) tore into his phsique.
Setting him apart, his work was accessible (sample his A Brief History of Time), and the scientist became one of the most meme-fied pop culture icons of a generation (Neil deGrasse Tyson is a close second). His first breakthrough was an appearance in the American television show The Simpsons. In an episode titled They Saved Lisa's Brain, where a Mensa group with exceptionally high IQs take over Springfield, Hawking makes an appearance. In the episode, a delicious spoof of Plato's Republic and Nietzsche's Ubermensch, Hawking discusses 'donut-shaped earth' theory of earth. Although nowhere close to the top Simpson's episode, it certainly was a lot of fun.
The scientist occasionally appeared on The Big Bang Theory, a tremendously popular sitcom that explores the lives of the four scientists living in Pasadena, California. In the series, Hawking is the hero of the protagonists, especially Sheldon, the high-IQ, unbearably egotistical theoretical physicist who worshipped at his altra. It is in this series that he unleashes his best zingers. “What do Sheldon Cooper and a black hole have in common?” Hawking asks. The answer came: “They both suck.” After reviewing one of Sheldon's papers, he was gleeful: “You made an arithmetic mistake on page two. It was quite the boner.”
In Groening's (creator of The Simpsons) another series, Futurama, Hawking makes appearances as a talking head and along with the (do-gooder) vice president Al Gore.
In Star Trek: The Next Generation, he makes an appearance in a (extremely nerdy) poker game along with manifestations of Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton.
Pink Floyd's Keep Talking features samples of Hawking's electronic sound.
And don't forget the very funny instalment of John Oliver's HBO show Last Week Tonight, where he creams the host with brilliant one-liners.
