Tributes for famed theoretical physicist, cosmologist and best-selling author Stephen Hawking filled social media sites overnight.
Hawking died on Wednesday at the age of 76.
Scientists, media personalities, celebrities and many of the millions around the world who were influenced by his work and inspired by his life shared their thoughts:
His passing has left an intellectual vacuum in his wake. But it’s not empty. Think of it as a kind of vacuum energy permeating the fabric of spacetime that defies measure. Stephen Hawking, RIP 1942-2018. pic.twitter.com/nAanMySqkt
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) March 14, 2018
Sad to hear about Stephen Hawking. What a remarkable life. His contributions to science will be used as long as there are scientists, and there are many more scientists because of him. He spoke about the value and fragility of human life and civilisation and greatly enhanced both
— Brian Cox (@ProfBrianCox) March 14, 2018
Our world has lost a shining light. Stephen Hawking defied expectation. Blessed with a brilliant mind and uncommon grace, he opened so many minds to the wonders of our universe. Courageous and unbowed by adversity, he believed deeply in the power reason. May he rest in peace.
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) March 14, 2018
The great Stephen Hawking has passed on. He gave the world so much more than a brief history of time. R. I. P. Cosmic Super
star. pic.twitter.com/neM8PYwBq7— Siddharth (@Actor_Siddharth) March 14, 2018
It had to happen, eventually. We were lucky to have him for so long, and I was lucky to be able to work with him. A truly fabulous human being. Stephen Hawking. Funny, perverse, and, of course, brilliant.
— errolmorris (@errolmorris) March 14, 2018
“Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.” — Stephen Hawking pic.twitter.com/Q3nmjWPVL0
— Simran Jeet Singh (@SikhProf) March 14, 2018
Given just a few years to live after being diagnosed with ALS at age 21, Stephen Hawking by far outlived that, reaching the age of 76. He made some of the greatest contributions to the world of physics. His work will continue to inspire us all. RIP Stephen Hawking.
— Sophia Nasr (@Astropartigirl) March 14, 2018
Remembering Stephen Hawking, a renowned physicist and ambassador of science. His theories unlocked a universe of possibilities that we & the world are exploring. May you keep flying like superman in microgravity, as you said to astronauts on @Space_Station in 2014 pic.twitter.com/FeR4fd2zZ5
— NASA (@NASA) March 14, 2018
A star just went out in the cosmos. We have lost an amazing human being. Stephen Hawking fought and tamed the cosmos bravely for 76 years and taught us all something importantabout what it truly means to celebrate about being human. I will miss him.
— Lawrence M. Krauss (@LKrauss1) March 14, 2018
R.I.P. Stephen Hawking. Among his many profound contributions to this world was this simple sentiment: “It would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love.”
— Samantha Power (@SamanthaJPower) March 14, 2018
RIP Stephen Hawking. Genuinely very sad to hear that. If you haven’t, read A Brief History of Time. It’ll make the world feel more amazing and beautiful and strange. It’ll also make you feel smart and stupid all at once.
— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) March 14, 2018
“Silent face, the marble index of a mind forever voyaging through strange seas of thought, alone.” Wordsworth was writing of Newton, but he might have been foreseeing the silent face of Newton’s great successor as Lucasian Professor. pic.twitter.com/VZIP0xdQmG
— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) March 14, 2018
The world has lost a beautiful mind and a brilliant scientist. RIP Stephen Hawking
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) March 14, 2018
Oh no. Rest in peace. “We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special.” – Stephen Hawking HT @johnquackenbush
— Atul Butte (@atulbutte) March 14, 2018
“Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious” RIP Stephen Hawking
— Marc Fennell (@MarcFennell) March 14, 2018
Stephen Hawking came to Caltech periodically for work & usually gave a public talk where people queued up all day to see him. A few visual memories of a 2013 appearance with Kip Thorne. pic.twitter.com/KLGuKg2nZf
— Michael Shermer (@michaelshermer) March 14, 2018
Farewell Stephen Hawking. A great man. Honored to have spent time with him. RIP.
— Brent Spiner (@BrentSpiner) March 14, 2018
I rarely cry at the death of people I don’t know personally, but the announcement of the passing of Stephen Hawking just brought tears to my eyes. What a beautiful genius this earth has lost.
— Dana Goldberg (@DGComedy) March 14, 2018
Stephen Hawking…
A testament that disability is not “inability” and that people with disabilities can achieve anything they set their minds to.
— Nyle DiMarco (@NyleDiMarco) March 14, 2018
We were on earth at the same time as Stephen Hawking.
That’s kind of a miraculous thing.
We breathed the same air as the man who demystified the stars.
— Geraldine (@everywhereist) March 14, 2018
“We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special.” If understanding the Universe makes us special, then Dr. Stephen Hawking was truly extraordinary. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/aOn5DMGFjn
— ThinkGeek (@thinkgeek) March 14, 2018
- This article originally appeared on HuffPost.