Stephen Hawking was one of the most influential and well-known scientists of the 21st century until his death in 2018. In this article we will answer the main question of what was Stephen Hawking IQ score.
Even now, his legacy still lives on, which is likely never going to change. Many people know of his unfortunate circumstances and his iconic, computerized voice.
He is heralded by many as one of the most brilliant people of all time. But that begs the question, just how smart is Stephen Hawking? As well as another question, what is Stephen Hawking’s IQ?
Before we answer that question, let’s answer a few more straightforward questions. Just who exactly is Stephen Hawking, and what is an IQ score.
Who is Stephen Hawking
On January 8th, 1942, Stephen Hawking was born to a family of doctors in Oxford, England.
His father, Frank, was a medical researcher, and his mother, Isobel Eileen, was a secretary for a medical research institute.
His parents also had two other biological children, Phillipa and Mary, who were younger than Stephen, as well as an adopted brother, Edward Frank David, who passed away in 2003.
Stephen Hawking at university
When he was 17 in 1959, Stephen Hawking began to attend university at University College, Oxford. It was there where he would receive an undergraduate degree in physics.
The first eighteen months of Hawking’s time in university were said to be difficult for him. He was bored and lonely and claimed to have found the school work “Incredibly easy.”
One of his tutors, Robert Berman, would later go on to say this about Stephen:
It was only necessary for him to know that something could be done, and he could do it without looking to see how other people did it.
Robert Berman
Hawking flourished in his second year of university, becoming more outgoing. He became much more popular and livelier and was interested in science-fiction and classical music.
He would even go on to join the university’s boat club. He developed a bit of a daredevil reputation in that boat club due to his penchant for steering his boat on risky courses that would often lead to damages. He would go on to graduate from Oxford with honors.
Life-changing moment of Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking would begin his graduate studies in October 1962 at Trinty Hall, Cambridge. It was during his time at Oxford that his life changed forever.
It was around that time that Hawking was diagnosed with ALS or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a disease that would define him.
He was diagnosed with ALS after his final year at Oxford. Hawking began to experience bouts of clumsiness; he had difficulty rowing as part of the boat club and even fell down some stairs.
The problems only got worse; after returning home for Christmas one year, his family noticed slurred speech.
After that, medical investigations started, and Hawking was eventually diagnosed with ALS at 21. He was only given two years to live.
That diagnosis and shortened expected lifespan drove Stephen Hawking into a downward spiral.
He even stopped his studies at university because he felt there was no point. One of his supervisors, a man named Dennis William Sciama, encouraged him to continue his studies.
Return to studies and living with disease
After returning to his studies, Hawking gained a bold, outspoken, and brilliant reputation.
Unfortunately, in the late 1960s, Hawking’s physical abilities began to decline. He could no longer walk without crutches, and his speech deteriorated.
Stephen Hawking was known as a highly independent person and vehemently refused a wheelchair.
Towards the end of the 1960s, Hawkings was finally convinced to begin using a wheelchair, and he would be known as a bit of a reckless driver.
Stephen Hawking and disease exacerbation
In 1985, after a severe bout of pneumonia, Stephen Hawking had to undergo a tracheotomy, which permanently removed his ability to speak.
In 1986 he received a computer program known as the “Equalizer.” The “Equalizer” was developed by the CEO of Words Plus, Walter Woltosz.
Woltosz developed the program to help his mother-in-law speak; she also lost her ability to speak due to ALS.
Stephen Hawking would use the “Equalizer” to speak for the rest of his life.
The program was initially installed on a desktop computer and eventually moved to a small computer made to fit on his wheelchair.
Free of needing someone to interpret his words, Hawkings would comment the following:
I can communicate much better now than before I lost my voice.
Stephen Hawking
Anytime Stephen Hawking had a lecture or a speaking arrangement, the speech would be sent to the computer and prepared in short sections to be performed.
Hawking would use his hand to activate a switch that could say nearly 15 words a minute. Unfortunately, Hawking continued to lose function in his hand in 2005 and could no longer use the control for his computer.
He would have to begin using a cheek muscle to communicate with the computer, but that slowed down his process to only about a word a minute.
Stephen Hawking most famous work
In 1988, Stephen Hawking published his most famous work, A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bank to Black Holes.
It was written for those with no knowledge of physics, an entry-level book to help them learn something new about the universe. This book was wildly successful; it was on the best-seller list for an astonishing 237 weeks.
It went on to sell over 25 million copies.
A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bank to Black Holes summary
Each chapter of the book would cover different topics and put them in terms that the general public would understand.
Some of these chapters are about the Big Bang, black holes, as well as quantum mechanics, and the universe as a whole.
Since its release in 1988, A Brief History of Time has been re-released a handful of times over the years. Each addition takes into account further scientific advancements.
So, to put it lightly, Stephen Hawking was a brilliant person who, despite his physical disabilities, fought on to further scientific advancement and make it more accessible to the general public.
Despite his death in 2018, his passion for science will never be forgotten. Nor will his impact on the scientific community.
Or those with disabilities, to whom he showed that even with some setbacks, nothing could stop you from changing the world if you are dedicated enough.
So, we’ve answered the question of who Stephen Hawking was.
Stephen Hawking IQ
The next question we have to answer is what an IQ test is. And then finally, we need to find out what Stephen Hawking’s IQ was and how it compared to other famous individuals.
meaning of IQ
IQ stands for intelligence quotient; it is a score given to someone based on their answers on a standardized test. We have written a detailed article about IQ test and what IQ is. You can find it here: IQ test.
The United States Army used IQ tests to determine who to assign specific tasks to in the first World War. Over 1.7 million men were tested, making it the first mass-produced and written intelligence test. Many of those men who scored well on these would end up becoming officers. Some camps that provided the tests would not let anyone achieving a C or below even apply to become an officer.
So now, we know what an IQ test is. We’ve also covered the history of Stephen Hawking. There is only one question left to answer; What is Stephen Hawking’s IQ?
What is Stephen Hawking IQ?
What is Stephen Hawking’s IQ? It is believed that Stephen Hawking’s IQ was around 160, although it is not known if he ever took an IQ test. An IQ of that score would put him at around the same IQ level as Albert Einstein, another world-renowned scientist whose impact on the world outlasted their lives.
