When was Hawking diagnosed with ALS?

Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) in 1963 at age 21. Doctors gave him two years to live. He lived until 2018 — 55 years after diagnosis, dying at 76.

Why did Hawking survive so much longer than expected?

Nobody knows for certain. His doctors suspected his form of the disease progressed unusually slowly, possibly due to his youth at diagnosis, genetic factors, or a combination of both. He also had exceptional medical care throughout his life — his marriages brought dedicated support, and later, a full-time nursing team. His intellectual focus may also have played a role; the relationship between cognitive engagement and disease progression is studied but not fully understood.

How did his condition progress?

Gradually at first, then faster in the 1970s. By the 1980s he required a wheelchair. He lost his ability to speak naturally and used a speech synthesizer after a tracheotomy in 1985. Eventually he could only communicate by twitching a cheek muscle, tracked by an infrared sensor. He continued to produce physics at an extraordinary level throughout.

How did Hawking dictate and write without motor control?

He worked extensively with graduate students and colleagues who translated his ideas into equations — he would describe concepts verbally or via his synthesizer, and others would handle the mathematical notation. He had an exceptional ability to hold complex calculations in his head, which became more necessary as his physical abilities declined.

What does Hawking's physical journey teach?

That the mind's reach can be almost completely decoupled from the body's capacity. And that the systems built to support someone — caregivers, technology, institutional support — are not incidental to their achievement. Hawking's productivity was a collective achievement as much as an individual one.