About
About This Site & Disclosures
A free, independent educational resource on Stephen Hawking. Our mission, our charitable commitment, our affiliate and image disclosures, and our relationship (none) to the Estate of Stephen Hawking.
Last updated 23 May 2026 · How we research
This is a free, independent educational website about the life, science and ideas of Professor Stephen Hawking (1942–2018). Its goal is to explain genuinely difficult ideas, black holes, the origin of the universe, the nature of time, in language anyone can follow, and to do justice to the life of the man who spent his career making those ideas public.
It is not affiliated with, authorised by, or endorsed by the Estate of Stephen Hawking, his family, or any organisation he was associated with. It is an independent tribute and reference resource.
Our mission
Two things, in order. First, to be a clear, accurate, free educational resource, the kind of place a curious reader, a student, or a teacher can come to understand what Hawking actually did and why it mattered. Second, to turn that into something useful for the cause closest to his life: research into motor neurone disease.
Charitable commitment
A meaningful share of any revenue this site earns is donated to the Motor Neurone Disease Association, the charity Stephen Hawking served as a patron from 2008 until his death. The exact proportion is published on the Support MND Research page. Where this site represents that a purchase will benefit a charity, it does so in line with UK fundraising rules, and we aim to state the amount that reaches the charity clearly rather than vaguely.
Affiliate disclosure
Some links to books are affiliate links, which means the site may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, the site earns from qualifying purchases. We do not display prices, and affiliate income is treated as a means of funding the charitable contribution above, not the purpose of the site.
Images
Photographs on this site are public-domain images, principally from NASA, used with credit. We do not use copyrighted press or agency photographs.
Accuracy
We aim for accuracy and draw on reputable sources. Science writing for a general audience always involves simplification, and where we simplify we try to flag it rather than mislead. If you spot an error, please get in touch so we can correct it.
For how this site is researched and reviewed, see our sources and method.