How rich is Stephen Hawking? and has he contributed anything to society?

Question

He just theorizes things, right? He hasn't actually done anything like invent iPod or build fire-proof buildings or space machines. So in reality, he has done nothing because thinking about how a blackhole works won't actually save someone if sucked in.

Answer 1

He makes the upper end of the salary available for a college professor, which isn't that much considering his medical needs.  

He wrote a few books which were legitimately successful and so he makes royalties on that, as any author does.  Is Stephen King(who's own contributions to society are entirely fictional) somehow less useful a human being because he's an author?

You ipod never would have been invented at all had theoretical physicists, much like Hawking, from the first half of the century not spent their lives theorizing "absurd" theories like quantum physics which nearly all of modern high tech is based on.

Answer 2

dunno. yes. yes.

Answer 3

Your name says it all.

Answer 4

Im sure he is doing just fine financially.

However, research for research sake, is a very admirable endeavour. And without people just trying to figure stuff out you would never have gotten the computer chip for your Ipod, without chemistry researchers you would have never had fire-proof buildings. Your train of thought is incredibly narrow when considering pure research.

Hawking by trying to find out how the universe began is directly and indirectly influencing decisions regarding alternative energy, space travel, etc etc.

Answer 5

Right....because knowledge is practically worthless when compared to the almighty iPod....*rolls eyes*

He's contributed more to the scientific community than any other human being. His ability to understand and theorize complex mechanisms of the sub-atomic world is astounding. Every hypothesis he tests and records is one step closer to understanding the world around us...Have you ever even read anything by him? He's brilliant!