# Stephen Hawking becomes a virtual particle at 76 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 14, 2018, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531 "2018-03-14T03:52:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/1 "2018-03-14T03:52:29Z")
> **[Stephen Hawking: Visionary physicist dies aged 76](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-43396008)** > > The British scientist who explained the Universe to millions died peacefully at home aged 76. Too new for any details. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/2 "2018-03-14T03:55:02Z")
Sonofabitch. There are very few celebrity deaths that affect me. This will be one of them. RIP Dr. Hawking. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/3 "2018-03-14T04:00:23Z")
Bad news. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/4 "2018-03-14T04:02:49Z")
[Stephen Hawking dies](http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-43396008?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbcnews) at 76. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/5 "2018-03-14T04:06:26Z")
Just a little late with your thread. [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=851041](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=851041) Only by 10 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/6 "2018-03-14T04:08:33Z")
Yeah, but **eschereal** had a better thread title! ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/7 "2018-03-14T04:10:07Z")
Why, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/8 "2018-03-14T04:10:58Z")
Shit. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/9 "2018-03-14T04:12:28Z")
[“If you’re looking for trouble, you’ve found it.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH8s4N15zdg) What a punch to the gut; I’ll be feeling this one for days. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/10 "2018-03-14T04:16:03Z")
Bring on the radiation. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/11 "2018-03-14T04:16:26Z")
For some reason, despite a condition that was clearly deteriorating him fast, and him being of an age, I just didn’t expect this. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/12 "2018-03-14T04:18:21Z")
Shazbot! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/13 "2018-03-14T04:18:25Z")
What a pisser. Given that he was given 2 years to live back in **1963** , I’d say he gave it a pretty good run. RIP, Stephen. The world is lessened with your passing. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/14 "2018-03-14T04:18:45Z")
76?!? I didn’t realize he was that old. Or that he would live that long. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/15 "2018-03-14T04:22:00Z")
Really sad news. ☹ RIP Stephen ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/16 "2018-03-14T04:23:08Z")
Well, damn. I knew he couldn’t live forever, and 76 is a good run for his condition. But… damn. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/17 "2018-03-14T04:23:53Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Just a little late with your thread. > [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=851041](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=851041) > Only by 10 minutes. > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Yeah, but **eschereal** had a better thread title! And he put it in the right forum. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/18 "2018-03-14T04:25:32Z")
Sad. But we had the benefit of his mind for about 50 years more than there were reasonable expectations on his health. If nothing else Brian Cox will be relieved he’s much less likely to be killed by a [hit & run](https://www.polygon.com/2015/4/14/8410063/stephen-hawking-runs-down-physicist-while-singing-monty-pythons)around campus. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/19 "2018-03-14T04:43:21Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > For some reason, despite a condition that was clearly deteriorating him fast, and him being of an age, I just didn’t expect this. Yes. I thought of him as a sort of permanent fixture too. RIP ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531/20 "2018-03-14T04:50:56Z")
AFAIK, the only person to portray himself in a Star Trek episode. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-hawking-becomes-a-virtual-particle-at-76/810531.md?page=2)