Stephen Hawking is without a doubt one of, if not the greatest, minds of the last century and his findings and hypothesis have led to his popular stance.
His fame has come with criticism and compliment but most of all it has brought him to the fore in the pop culture scene. His status has meant that he has appeared in television, ads and songs across his lifetime and in memory of his life, below are some of the most notable appearances.
Pink Floyd
Such is his popularity and impact that Stephen Hawking appears in two Pink Floyd songs. As one of the greatest bands in recent times, this is a huge tip of the hat to the physicist. Hawking appears in Talkin’ Hawkin and Keep Talking both of which take a snippet from a British Telecom ad where he talks about how our greatest achievements have come through talking.
The Big Bang Theory
Sheldon gets to meet his hero in this episode of the Big Bang Theory and unfortunately, it doesn’t all go to plan. Sheldon makes a mistake in his workings that he presents to Stephen Hawking and is ultimately embarrassed.
The Simpsons
Stephen Hawking made a number of appearances of the long-running animation series set in Springfield. Of course, many of his appearances involve the bright Lisa Simpson and her fascination with learning.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
In a scene that highlights a collection of the world’s greatest minds Stephen Hawking appears with Sir Isaac Newton, Einstein and Data in the film.
Little Britain
A series that may seem a little out of character to some, the creator of Little Britain, David Williams, said that the professor “loved a good laugh.” Stephen Hawking appeared in the British Tv series in 2015 replacing Andy in his motorised wheelchair.
Hawking
Of course, there have been a number of films made about the life of Stephen Hawking and this 2004 British movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch deals with his time at Cambridge as a post-graduate student.
The Theory of Everything
Eddie Redmayne played the renowned physicist in this 2014 movie representing Hawking’s life from the 1960s through to the 1980s. The film was nominated for a number of Academy Awards however it has been said that it is a poor portrayal of actual events.
UK insurance ad
A Stephen Hawking discovery, the supermassive black hole, appears in a UK insurance commercial.