Maharashtra State Board Class 10 English Lesson Stephen Hawking Summary, Line by Line Explanation, along with difficult word meanings from English Kumarbharati Book
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- Stephen Hawking Introduction
- Theme of the Poem Stephen Hawking
- Stephen Hawking Summary
- Stephen Hawking Summary in Hindi
- Stephen Hawking Lesson Explanation
Stephen Hawking Maharashtra State Board Class 10 English
Stephen Hawking Introduction
Stephen Hawking was a brilliant scientist who studied the universe. He wrote many books to explain difficult science ideas in a way that everyone could understand. His most famous book is “A Brief History of Time” which talks about space, time, and the beginning of everything. Even though he got sick at a young age and couldn’t move his body very well, he never gave up on his work.
This chapter discusses the life and work of Stephen Hawking.
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Theme / Central Idea of the Lesson Stephen Hawking
The themes explored in the chapter are-
Triumph over adversity: Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with a deadly disease at a young age, but he didn’t give up. He went on to have a very successful career as a scientist.
Simplifying difficult scientific concepts: Stephen Hawking wrote books about complex scientific ideas in a way that everyone could understand.
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Stephen Hawking Summary
Stephen Hawking was a British physicist and cosmologist who made significant contributions to our understanding of the universe. He was also a prolific author who has written several popular science books, including A Brief History of Time, which sold millions of copies worldwide.
Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the age of 21. ALS is a disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Despite his illness, Hawking has continued to work and publish research papers. He has also used his voice synthesizer to communicate and write books.
Hawking’s work has focused on the search for a grand theory of physics that can explain the origins and structure of the universe. He was also interested in the possibility of time travel and being able to go on other planets.
In his book The Grand Design, Hawking argues that the Big Bang was the inevitable consequence of the laws of physics and that there is no need for a creator God to have initiated the process.
Hawking’s health had been a concern for many years, but he continued to be productive despite his illness.
He is still an inspiration to many people who are facing challenges in their own lives.
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Stephen Hawking Summary in Hindi
स्टीफन हॉकिंग एक ब्रिटिश भौतिक विज्ञानी और ब्रह्मांड विज्ञानी थे जिन्होंने ब्रह्मांड के बारे में हमारी समझ में महत्वपूर्ण योगदान दिया है। वह एक विपुल लेखक भी थे, जिन्होंने कई लोकप्रिय विज्ञान पुस्तकें लिखीं, जिनमें “ए ब्रीफ हिस्ट्री ऑफ टाइम” शामिल है, जिसकी दुनिया भर में लाखों प्रतियां बिकीं।
21 साल की उम्र में हॉकिंग एम्योट्रोफिक लेटरल स्क्लेरोसिस (ALS) नामक बीमारी से ग्रस्त हो गए थे। यह एक ऐसी बीमारी है जो मस्तिष्क और रीढ़ की हड्डी की तंत्रिका कोशिकाओं को प्रभावित करती है। अपनी बीमारी के बावजूद, हॉकिंग ने काम करना और शोध पत्र प्रकाशित करना जारी रखा। उन्होंने संवाद करने और किताबें लिखने के लिए अपने वाक् संश्लेषक का भी उपयोग किया।
हॉकिंग का काम ब्रह्मांड की उत्पत्ति और संरचना की व्याख्या करने वाले भौतिकी के एक महान सिद्धांत की खोज पर केंद्रित था। उन्हें समय यात्रा की संभावना और अन्य ग्रहों पर जाने में सक्षम होने में भी रुचि थी।
अपनी किताब “द ग्रैंड डिज़ाइन” में, हॉकिंग का तर्क है कि बिग बैंग भौतिकी के नियमों का अनिवार्य परिणाम था और इस प्रक्रिया को शुरू करने के लिए किसी रचयिता ईश्वर की आवश्यकता नहीं है।
हॉकिंग का स्वास्थ्य कई सालों से चिंता का विषय रहा है, लेकिन उन्होंने अपनी बीमारी के बावजूद काम करना जारी रखा।
वह अभी भी उन कई लोगों के लिए एक प्रेरणा हैं जो अपने जीवन में चुनौतियों का सामना कर रहे हैं।
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Stephen Hawking Lesson Explanation
Passage: Stephen Hawking (born January 8, 1942) is a British scientist, professor and author who has done groundbreaking work in physics and cosmology, and whose books have helped to make science accessible to everyone. At the age of 21, while studying cosmology at the University of Cambridge, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Part of his life story was depicted in the 2014 film ‘The Theory of Everything.’
Word Meaning
Cosmology: The study of the origin, structure, and evolution of the universe.
Groundbreaking: Pioneering or innovative, creating a new path in a field of study.
Accessible: Easy to understand.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): A progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
Explanation: Stephen Hawking was born on January 8, 1942. He was a brilliant British scientist, professor and author. He wrote books that explained difficult sciences like Physics and the study of the Universe in a way that everyone could understand.
Unfortunately, when he was 21 years old, Stephen got sick with a disease called ALS when he was studying cosmology at the University of Cambridge. This disease made his muscles weak gradually, over time.
Hawking’s amazing story was even made into a movie called “The Theory of Everything” in 2014.
Passage: Over the years, Stephen Hawking has written or co-written a total of 15 books. A few of the most noteworthy include: The Grand Design, The Universe in a Nutshell, The Theory of Everything.
Word Meaning
Co-written: written together with someone else
Noteworthy: something significant or worth remembering
Explanation: Stephen Hawking wrote many books, 15 in total, with some other people helping out on a few. Some of the most interesting ones are: The Grand Design, The Universe in a Nutshell and The Theory of Everything.
Passage: In 1988 Hawking catapulted to international prominence with the publication of A Brief History of Time. The short, informative book became an account of cosmology for the masses and offered an overview of space and time, the existence of God and the future. The work was an instant success, spending more than four years atop the ‘London Sunday Times’ bestseller list. Since its publication, it has sold millions of copies worldwide and been translated into more than 40 languages.
Word Meaning
Catapulted: to be launched or propelled with great force or speed. In this context, it suggests Hawking’s fame suddenly increased dramatically.
Prominence: a state of being important, famous, or noticeable
Overview: a general summary of a subject
Bestseller List: a list of books that are selling the most copies
Explanation: Stephen Hawking’s book “A Brief History of Time” came out in 1988 and made him famous around the world. It was a short and easy-to-read book that explained complicated ideas about space, time, God, and what the future might hold. The book was a huge hit and stayed on the ‘London Sunday Times’ bestseller list for more than four years. It has sold millions of copies all over the world and has been translated into many different languages.
Passage: ‘A Brief History of Time’ also wasn’t as easy to understand as some had hoped. So in 2001, Hawking followed up his book with ‘The Universe in a Nutshell,’ which offered a more illustrated guide to cosmology’s big theories.
Word Meaning
Illustrated: Explained or decorated with pictures or diagrams.
Explanation: Stephen Hawking’s book “A Brief History of Time” was a bit tough to follow for some people. So, a few years later, he wrote another book called “The Universe in a Nutshell” to explain the same big ideas about space and time in a way that was easier to understand. This new book even had pictures to help people understand in a better manner.
Passage: In 2005, Hawking authored the even more accessible ‘A Briefer History of Time,’ which further simplified the original work’s core concepts and touched upon the newest developments in the field like String theory.
Word Meaning
Authored: Wrote
Accessible: Easy to understand
Core concepts: Central ideas
Touched upon: Briefly discussed
Explanation: In 2005, Stephen Hawking wrote an even easier-to-understand book called ‘A Briefer History of Time’. This book explained the main ideas of his first book on the universe in a much simpler way. It also talked about new things in science that scientists were just starting to learn about, like the String theory.
Passage: Together these three books, along with Hawking’s own research and papers, articulate the physicist’s personal search for science’s Holy Grail: a single unifying theory that can combine cosmology (the study of the big) with quantum mechanics (the study of the small) to explain how the universe began. It’s this kind of ambitious thinking that has allowed Hawking, who claims he can think in 11 dimensions, to lay out some big possibilities for humankind. He’s convinced that time travel is possible, and that humans may indeed colonize other planets in the future.
Word Meaning
Articulate: To express ideas clearly and effectively.
Holy Grail: A metaphor for something that is highly desired and difficult to achieve.
Quantum Mechanics: The branch of physics that studies the matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic level.
Ambitious: Having or showing a strong desire and determination to achieve great things.
Dimensions: The measurable extent of something in a particular direction.
Explanation: These three books, along with Stephen Hawking’s reserach papers, explore his lifelong mission to find a single grand theory in science. This theory would combine how the big things in the entire universe work and how tiny particles behave to explain how the universe began. It’s like finding the ultimate answer in science!
Because Hawking thinks in ways most people can’t, he thinks in 11 dimensions, he believes big things are possible. He thinks we might travel through time and even live on other planets someday.
Passage: In September 2010, Hawking spoke against the idea that God could have created the universe in his book The Grand Design. Hawking previously argued that belief in a creator could be compatible with modern scientific theories. His new work, however, concluded that the Big Bang was the inevitable consequence of the laws of physics and nothing more. “Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing,” Hawking said. “Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist.”
Word Meaning
Inevitable: Absolutely certain to happen; unavoidable
Consequence: A result or effect of an action or event
Spontaneous: Happening suddenly and without being planned or caused by anything
Explanation: In September 2010, in his book The Grand Design, Hawking said that he did not agree with the idea that God created the universe. Hawking earlier believed that science and the idea of God could coexist. However, in his work, he argued for a purely scientific explanation. The laws of physics, particularly gravity, allowed the universe to create itself. There was no need for an external force or God to initiate it. Spontaneous creation proposes the idea that the universe came into existence from a state of nothingness.
Passage: The Grand Design was Hawking’s first major publication in almost a decade. Within his new work, Hawking set out to challenge Sir Isaac Newton’s belief that the universe had to have been designed by God, simply because it could not have been born from chaos.
“It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going,” Hawking said.
Word Meaning
Decade: Ten years
Chaos: Complete disorder and confusion
Invoke: To call on someone or something for help or support.
Set going: To cause something to start or happen.
Explanation: Stephen Hawking’s book “The Grand Design” was his first major published work in almost ten years. The book challenged the idea put forth by Isaac Newton, the famous scientist. Newton believed that the complex and ordered nature of the universe implied that it must have been designed by God. Hawking disagreed. He expressed his view that the universe’s beginning could be explained by scientific laws and not divine intervention. The metaphor “light the blue touch paper” refers to initiating a process i.e. the Big Bang.
Passage: At the age of 21, Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease). In a very simple sense, the nerves that controlled his muscles were shutting down. At the time, doctors gave him two and a half years to live.
Word Meaning
Diagnosed: a doctor identified a specific disease after examining a patient.
Shutting down: This means to stop functioning.
Explanation: Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) at 21. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a serious illness that affects the nerves which control the muscles. This means that the nerves can not send signals to the muscles properly. His doctors predicted he would only live about two and a half years after the diagnosis.
Passage: Hawking first began to notice problems with his physical health while he was at Oxford – on occasion he would trip and fall, or slur his speech – he didn’t look into the problem until 1963, during his first year at Cambridge. For the most part, Hawking had kept these symptoms to himself. But when his father took notice of the condition, he took Hawking to see a doctor. For the next two weeks, the 21-year-old college student made his home at a medical clinic, where he underwent a series of tests.
Word Meaning
slur: To speak in a way that is unclear or difficult to understand.
symptoms: Signs of a disease or illness.
look into: To investigate or try to find out more about something.
underwent: Experienced or suffered through something, especially a medical procedure.
Explanation: While at Oxford, Hawking started experiencing physical issues like tripping, falling, and not being able to pronounce words clearly. He initially ignored these signs and didn’t seek medical help. In 1963, during his first year at Cambridge, his condition became more noticeable, and his father noticed and then took him to the hospital. At 21 years old, Hawking spent two weeks in a medical clinic undergoing tests to determine the cause of his problems.
Passage: “They took a muscle sample from my arm, stuck electrodes into me, and injected some radio-opaque fluid into my spine, and watched it going up and down with X-rays, as they tilted the bed,” he once said. “After all that, they didn’t tell me what I had, except that it was not multiple sclerosis, and that I was an atypical case.”
Word Meaning
Electrodes: These are small metal plates that are attached to the skin to conduct electricity.
Radio-opaque fluid: This is a special type of liquid that shows up clearly on X-rays. It was injected into the patient’s spine to help visualize the flow of the fluid within the spinal canal.
Atypical: This means not typical or unusual.
Explanation: Doctors cut out a small tissue sample from Hawking’s arm, attached electric devices to his body and injected fluids into his spine. This fluid shows up clearly on X-rays, as the doctors tilted the bed, allowing them to see and examine abnormalities. Despite all these tests, the doctors didn’t tell Hawking anything as the doctors couldn’t determine the exact problem. They could only cancel out the possibility of multiple sclerosis. The doctors classified Hawking’s case as atypical, meaning it didn’t present typical signs of a known condition.
Passage: Eventually, however, doctors did diagnose Hawking with the early stages of ALS. It was devastating news for him and his family, but a few events prevented him from becoming completely despondent. The first of these came while Hawking was still in the hospital. There, he shared a room with a boy suffering from leukemia. Relative to what his roommate was going through, Hawking later reflected, his situation seemed more tolerable. Not long after he was released from the hospital, Hawking had a dream that he was going to be executed. He said this dream made him realize that there were still things to do with his life.
Word Meaning
Eventually: After some time, finally.
Diagnose: To identify an illness after examining a patient.
Devastating: Causing great shock and distress.
Despondent: In low spirits, feeling hopeless.
Prevented: Stopped something from happening.
Leukemia: A cancer of the White Blood Cells.
Reflected: Considered or thought about something carefully.
Tolerable: Bearable, acceptable.
Executed: Put to death, especially according to legal sentences.
Explanation: After some time, doctors were finally able to identify the illness. Stephen Hawking was found to have ALS in its beginning stages.
Hawking initially felt devastated by the news, but few events helped him cope with his situation.
The first was sharing a hospital room with a boy with leukemia. Seeing the greater challenge the boy faced helped Hawking realize his own situation wasn’t as bad.
The second was a dream about being executed, which made him realize he had things he still wanted to accomplish in life. These events motivated him to move forward despite his illness.
Passage: In a sense, Hawking’s disease helped him become the noted scientist he is today. Before the diagnosis, Hawking hadn’t always focused on his studies. “Before my condition was diagnosed, I had been very bored with life,” he said. “There had not seemed to be anything worth doing.” With the sudden realization that he might not even live long enough to earn his Ph.D, Hawking poured himself into his work and research.
Word Meaning
Ph.D.: Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree awarded after completing advanced research and a dissertation in a specific field.
Poured himself into: a metaphorical expression meaning he devoted all his energy and effort into something.
Explanation: Indirectly, Hawking’s health issue helped him become the accomplished scientist he’s known for today. Before being diagnosed with ALS at a young age, Hawking admits he wasn’t that engaged with his studies and found life unfulfilling. The diagnosis became a wake-up call. Facing his own disease, Hawking realized he had limited time and a lot he wanted to achieve.
This newfound urgency led him to dedicate himself fully to his research. He poured his energy into his work, aiming to make significant contributions in the time he had left.
Passage: As physical control over his body diminished (he’d be forced to use a wheelchair by 1969), the effects of his disease started to slow down. Over time, however, Hawking’s ever-expanding career was accompanied by an ever-worsening physical state. By the mid-1970s, the Hawking family had taken in one of Hawking’s graduate students to help manage his care and work. He could still feed himself and get out of bed, but virtually everything else required assistance. In addition, his speech had become increasingly slurred, so that only those who knew him well could understand him. In 1985 he lost his voice for good following a tracheotomy. The resulting situation required 24-hour nursing care for the acclaimed physicist.
Word Meaning
Diminished: Reduced in amount, strength, or intensity.
Ever-expanding: Continuously growing or increasing.
Accompanied by: Occurring alongside or in connection with something else.
Worsening: Becoming steadily worse.
Virtually: Almost completely, but not entirely.
Slurred: Speak with the words not clearly formed.
Tracheotomy: A surgical procedure that creates an opening in the windpipe (trachea) to allow air to reach the lungs.
Acclaimed: Highly praised and admired.
Nursing care: The care provided for someone who is sick or injured, typically in a hospital or at home.
Explanation: Hawking’s physical abilities started weakening, forcing him to use a wheelchair by 1969. There was, however, a period where his health remained stable. Despite his growing disability, Hawking’s career grew. By the mid-70s, his condition worsened significantly. The family took in a graduate student for both personal care for Hawking and helping him with his research work. Hawking needed help with most daily tasks, except feeding himself and getting out of bed. His speech became slurred, making it difficult for most people to understand him. In 1985, a tracheotomy surgery permanently took away his ability to speak. This resulted in a need for constant nursing care.
Passage: It also put in peril Hawking’s ability to do his work. The predicament caught the attention of a California computer programmer, who had developed a speaking program that could be directed by head or eye movement. The invention allowed Hawking to select words on a computer screen that were then passed through a speech synthesizer. At the time of its introduction, Hawking, who still had use of his fingers, selected his words with a handheld clicker. Today, with virtually all control of his body gone, Hawking directs the program through a cheek muscle attached to a sensor.
Word Meaning
Peril: Danger or serious risk.
Predicament: A difficult, embarrassing, or worrying situation.
Directed: Controlled or guided.
Synthesizer: A machine that electronically produces a sound, especially imitating a musical instrument.
Virtually: Almost completely, but not literally.
Explanation: Hawking’s illness gradually took away his physical abilities, making it difficult for him to do his work.
A computer programmer invented a system that allowed someone to choose words on a screen using head or eye movements. Once Hawking selected a word, it was sent to a speech synthesizer program. This program converted text into spoken voice. This invention was a lifesaver for Hawking’s career. Originally, he used a clicker to select words with his fingers. But after some time, with almost no mobility, he could not move his fingers too. Then Hawking used a cheek muscle sensor to operate the system.
Passage: Through the program, and the help of assistants, Stephen Hawking has continued to write at a prolific rate. His work has included numerous scientific papers, of course, but also information for the non-scientific community.
Word Meaning
Prolific: Producing or creating a large amount of something
Explanation: With this technology, and the help of his assistants, Hawking was able to produce a significant amount of written work. This included many research papers. Hawking also wrote for non-scientific readers, making scientific concepts and information accessible to the public.
Passage: Hawking’s health, of course, remains a constant concern – a worry that was heightened in 2009 when he failed to appear at a conference in Arizona because of a chest infection. In April, Hawking, who had already announced he was retiring after 30 years from the post of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge, was rushed to the hospital for being what university officials described as “gravely ill.” It was later announced that he was expected to make a full recovery.
(He passed away on 14th March, 2018.)
Word Meaning
Heightened: Increased in intensity or severity
Lucasian Professor: A prestigious professorship of mathematics at the University of Cambridge
Gravely ill: Seriously ill
Explanation: Stephen Hawking’s health was always something that people worried about. In 2009, he missed a conference due to a chest infection, raising worries. That same year, shortly after announcing his retirement from the post of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge, Hawking was hospitalized for a serious illness, described by the university officials as “gravely ill”. However, it was expected that he would get completely better.
Stephen Hawking passed away on 14 March, 2018.