More than 30 years later he spoke out fervently against the war in Iraq. He also joined the BDS movement against Israel, calling the situation "like that in South Africa before 1990. It cannot continue."
He wasn't just one of the most brilliant minds of our times, he was also someone with a social conscience and critical of capitalism, saying:
"If machines produce everything we need, the outcome will depend on how things are distributed. Everyone can enjoy a life of luxurious leisure if the machine-produced wealth is shared, or most people can end up miserably poor if the machine-owners successfully lobby against wealth redistribution. So far, the trend seems to be toward the second option, with technology driving ever-increasing inequality."
Rest in power, Stephen Hawking.
