Is Stephen Hawkings overrated?

[Thudlow_Boink]

@Robert163

Is Stephen Hawkings overrated? In the sense that is he on the same level of scientist as Galileo, Newton, Einstein?

Galileo, Newton, and Einstein were all revolutionary, in a way that few scientists are (or get the chance to be). If anyone’s equating Stephen Hawking with them, I do think they’re overrating him.

The question of whether he is overrated came up in this relatively recent thread, especially starting on Page 2, with posts like this one:

@Wendell_Wagner

Asympotically fat writes:

> I think my point is that with Stephen Hawking people tend to assume that his
> reputation is mostly undeserved because of his huge media profile, but don’t be
> fooled he genuinely is someone who reached the pinnacle of his field and was
> known for his particular brilliance.

I don’t think that the average person today who’s heard of Stephen Hawking thinks that his reputation is undeserved. I think that they overrate him. By “average person,” I mean all those who know his name, which includes people who know little of what physics is about. Someone who has seen the Star Trek episode with him, Einstein, Newton, and Data playing poker could easily get the idea that his achievements are on the level of Einstein or Newton. They aren’t. He may be one of the 20 best physicists alive, but he’s not the best.