On November 7th The Theory of Everything, a motion picture by Working Title that features the life of world renowned physicist Stephen Hawking and his wife Jane released in American cinemas and was a great success shedding new light on the scientist’s life. The film is scheduled to release in the United Kingdom and Professor Stephen Hawking himself was invited to the premiere in London on the 9th of December.
The Theory of Everything, unlike many other TV programs or films about Stephen Hawking was centered around the romance between Professor Hawking (Eddie Redmaye) and his wife Jane (Felicity Jones) rather than on his achievements in the academy. In the 1960s while Hawking was in the middle of his Ph.D. program for physics at the University of Cambridge, he was diagnosed with what is called moto neuron disease, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Hawking would slowly but surely be paralyzed and his life expectancy at the time was only 2 years.
Hawking and Jane were already deeply in love with each other and upon finding out that they had only 2 years to be together, the two lovers decide to get married. As Hawking’s condition became worse his reliance on Jane grew greatly. In addition, no longer able to write on the blackboard with a chalk, the physicist had to imagine all his theories and equations in his head. As a result, Hawking became a household name after publishing his popular science book, A Brief History of Time.
Hawking’s obsession to discover a “theory of everything” that will explain the beginning of the universe had its negative effects on his family. Jane Wilde, Hawking’s first wife had expressed her feelings about her life before their divorce through a radio program, reports the Independent. She shared how Stephen was too caught up in his research and had little time for her and their children. In the 1980s, as Hawking’s condition got worse, nurses were hired to care for him. However, the nurses that frequently entered and left the Hawking residence as they pleased had made life for Jane even more difficult.
In 1990, Hawking told her he was leaving her for Elaine Mason, one of his nurses. Later, Hawking and Mason divorced in 2006. Hawking however continued to maintain a friendly relationship with Jane, his children and grandchildren, beginning a happier period in his life which led to the publishing of Jane’s own book titled Travelling to Infinity, My Life With Stephen in 2007.
Hawking retired as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge in 2009, the position held by Sir. Isaac Newton. However, he continues his career as director of research at Cambridge’s Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics.
Jane told the Independent that she did not people to get a too distorted idea of their romantic life and marriage through the recently released biopic, The Theory of Everything and that was why she had decided to show up via the radio.
