The news of Stephen Hawking's death last week rocked the world. The world-renowned theoretical physicist died at his home in Cambridge, England at the age of 76.
It suddenly dawned on us that we lost one of the greatest scientific minds of the last century.
In the midst of mourning, we celebrated the mastermind by remembering his life and accomplishments.
At the age of 21, Hawking was diagnosed with ALS, a motor neuron disease that gradually paralyzes the body.
He was willing to live in pain, confined to a wheelchair, only able to communicate through a speech-generating device for more than 50 years if it meant that he would be able to change the world with his theories.
And that's just what he did. Hawking's search to find the "theory of everything" inspired millions of people around the world.
His fascinating life inspired the 2014 biopic The Theory of Everything, starring Eddie Redmayne.
Those of us who went back and listened to Hawking's speeches after he passed discovered a startling predication he made not too long before he died.
Whether it was fate or coincidence, we shouldn't throw caution to the wind...
Two weeks before his death, Hawking was working on a mathematical paper to prove the theory of multiple universes, and predicted that our universe would eventually "fade to darkness" as the stars run out of energy.
Some believe that the brilliant mind had figured out a way to find another universe if all else fails in ours.
"Somewhere in the cosmos, perhaps, intelligent life may be watching these lights of ours aware of what they mean," Hawking said. "Or do our lights wander a lifeless cosmos, unseen beacons announcing that here on our rock, the universe discovered its existence?"
The Sunday Times reported that if there's overwhelming evidence to prove Hawking's theory, he would be entitled to receive a Nobel prize, but only if he was alive.
His final paper on the topic is titled, "A Smooth Exit From Eternal Inflation," and is currently being reviewed for publication.
That's not the only recent prediction Hawking has made about the end of the world. This one has got a lot of people worried.
Just a few months ago, the theoretical physicist warned us about the dangers of overpopulation.
"This exponential growth cannot continue into the next millennium," he said, according to GeekWire. "By the year 2600, the world's population would be standing shoulder to shoulder, and the electricity consumption would make the Earth glow red-hot."
He suggested we find a way to inhabit other planets, like Mars, to ensure our survival.
CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk, is planning to do just that in the near future. If Hawking's prediction is true, let's hope Musk and his team succeed.
