A new biography of Stephen Hawking includes a letter from his father, Frank Hawking, expressing concern that the future physicist was a lazy child. The letter, written in 1950 when Stephen was 8 years old, states: 'We are a little worried at the way Stephen is turning out. He hangs round the house with little initiative and does not study much.'
The biography, titled 'Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science' by authors Michael White and John Gribbin, was published in 1992 and has been re-released with new material. The letter from Frank Hawking, a medical researcher, was written to a friend and has been cited in various media reports over the years.
Despite his father's early concerns, Stephen Hawking went on to become one of the most famous theoretical physicists of the 20th century, known for his work on black holes and cosmology. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at age 21 and lived with the condition for over 50 years, dying in 2018.
The letter highlights the contrast between Hawking's early lack of academic focus and his later achievements, which included writing the best-selling book 'A Brief History of Time' and receiving numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
