Football superstar faces furious backlash for 'idiotic' Stephen Hawking tribute

vt-author-image

By VT

Article saved!Article saved!

An enduring symbol of the triumph of mind over matter, revolutionary physicist, Stephen Hawking has died aged 76. The image of Hawking - in his motorised wheelchair, with his head cocked to the side and an enigmatic smile - captured the public imagination for his blatant zest for life and determination in the face of great adversity.

The British scientist, who suffered from a rare form of motor neurone disease, was renowned for his work on black holes and relativity. And throughout his lifetime he wrote several best-selling science books including A Brief History of Time.

In the midst of thoughtful tributes from the scientific community and all those who were touched by Hawking's life, footballer, Neymar, has come under fire for his "idiotic" eulogy to the visionary physicist.

Brazilian professional footballer, Neymar, took to Twitter to post an image of himself topless in a wheelchair with a protective boot on his foot. The photograph was accompanied with a quote from Stephen Hawking about overcoming life's difficulties.

"You need to have a positive attitude and take the most from every situation you find yourself in," the caption read.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/neymarjr/status/973982957949071371]]

Unsurprisingly, the tweet did not go down well with the people of the internet - who took offence at the footballer's conflation of his injury with Stephen Hawking's long-reigning battle with motor neurone disease - which he was diagnosed with at the age of 22.

Neymar is currently injured with a broken metatarsal bone in his foot, and is resting in preparation for the 2018 Brazil World Cup.

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BfwbOYKDufZ/?utm_source=ig_embed]]

Professor Hawking died peacefully at his home in Cambridge in the early hours of Wednesday morning, according to his family.

In a statement, his three children, Lucy, Robert and Tim wrote, "We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today."
"He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years. He once said, ‘It would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love. We will miss him forever."

Throughout his lifetime, Hawking amassed a number of prestigious awards and affiliations. He was an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a lifetime member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and a recipient of the highest civilian award in the United States - the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

While organisations and influential figures across the world have come together to pay tribute to the groundbreaking scientist, NASA best captured the loss felt around the scientific community and beyond. "Remembering Stephen Hawking, a renowned physicist and ambassador of science. His theories unlocked a universe of possibilities that we & the world are exploring," the agency wrote on Twitter.

"May you keep flying like superman in microgravity, as you said to astronauts on @Space_Station in 2014."

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/NASA/status/973787392590172160]]

It's evident that the legacy of one of the greatest minds of our generation will live on for decades to come. And I think we can all agree that, right now, the world feels a little less intelligent with the loss of Stephen Hawking.

Football superstar faces furious backlash for 'idiotic' Stephen Hawking tribute

vt-author-image

By VT

Article saved!Article saved!

An enduring symbol of the triumph of mind over matter, revolutionary physicist, Stephen Hawking has died aged 76. The image of Hawking - in his motorised wheelchair, with his head cocked to the side and an enigmatic smile - captured the public imagination for his blatant zest for life and determination in the face of great adversity.

The British scientist, who suffered from a rare form of motor neurone disease, was renowned for his work on black holes and relativity. And throughout his lifetime he wrote several best-selling science books including A Brief History of Time.

In the midst of thoughtful tributes from the scientific community and all those who were touched by Hawking's life, footballer, Neymar, has come under fire for his "idiotic" eulogy to the visionary physicist.

Brazilian professional footballer, Neymar, took to Twitter to post an image of himself topless in a wheelchair with a protective boot on his foot. The photograph was accompanied with a quote from Stephen Hawking about overcoming life's difficulties.

"You need to have a positive attitude and take the most from every situation you find yourself in," the caption read.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/neymarjr/status/973982957949071371]]

Unsurprisingly, the tweet did not go down well with the people of the internet - who took offence at the footballer's conflation of his injury with Stephen Hawking's long-reigning battle with motor neurone disease - which he was diagnosed with at the age of 22.

Neymar is currently injured with a broken metatarsal bone in his foot, and is resting in preparation for the 2018 Brazil World Cup.

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BfwbOYKDufZ/?utm_source=ig_embed]]

Professor Hawking died peacefully at his home in Cambridge in the early hours of Wednesday morning, according to his family.

In a statement, his three children, Lucy, Robert and Tim wrote, "We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today."
"He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years. He once said, ‘It would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love. We will miss him forever."

Throughout his lifetime, Hawking amassed a number of prestigious awards and affiliations. He was an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a lifetime member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and a recipient of the highest civilian award in the United States - the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

While organisations and influential figures across the world have come together to pay tribute to the groundbreaking scientist, NASA best captured the loss felt around the scientific community and beyond. "Remembering Stephen Hawking, a renowned physicist and ambassador of science. His theories unlocked a universe of possibilities that we & the world are exploring," the agency wrote on Twitter.

"May you keep flying like superman in microgravity, as you said to astronauts on @Space_Station in 2014."

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/NASA/status/973787392590172160]]

It's evident that the legacy of one of the greatest minds of our generation will live on for decades to come. And I think we can all agree that, right now, the world feels a little less intelligent with the loss of Stephen Hawking.