First and foremost, Stephen Hawking was a great man. That sometimes gets lost amid the thread of his great contributions to science and education. The 76-year old passed away early Wednesday morning, according to a statement from his children.
Hawking will never be forgotten by a world that benefits from his scientific theories every day. He also won't be forgotten by a movie audience that saw his life memorialized in the recent romantic biopic "The Theory of Everything." The scientist himself, however, popped up in many Pop Culture moments.
Here are some of Hawking's legendary pop culture appearances:
'The Simpsons'
Hawking was a frequent guest star on the animated FOX sitcom. He only had to lend his voice to the program, but his comedic timing was simply impeccable. He made at least four appearances on the show, including as recently as Season 22, when he rapped alongside Flight of the Conchords in "Elementary School Musical." He has used special helicopter wheelchairs to save the day and inconspicuously consumed adult beverages with Homer. Hawking also had the opportunity to present show creator Matt Groening with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Comedy Awards in 2004.
'Star Trek: The Next Generation'
The community of brainiacs loved the bones Hawking threw them on "Star Trek: The Next Generation." The late, great Leonard Nimoy is the one who got the ball rolling on an appearance for the great physicist.
He appeared in "Descent, Part 1" as his poker-playing self, engaged in battle with Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Data. In doing so, he became the only person to ever play themselves on "Star Trek."
If only Hawking was actually around when Einstein or Sir Newton lived. That would've been a real hoot of a "TNG" episode.
'The Big Bang Theory'
To this generation, Hawking's pop culture appeal is synonymous with the CBS comedy. He was the perfect fit for a show about scientists and scholars attempting to achieve his level of recognition and prestige. He first appeared in "The Hawking Excitation," where he eviscerated Sheldon for a mistake in a paper.
The rest of his appearances featured some sort of variation on this theme. He beat Sheldon in "Words with Friends," trolled the protagonists about a paper, and advised Sheldon on his love life.
Stephen Hawking's contributions to science and humanity are unassailable. His contributions to pop culture are vital as well.
