Trying to Understand the Universe and Life I sat there in awe. I was in awe of the man's genius. I was in awe of his life. It could be described as nothing less than miraculous. I was particularly shocked by the way the narrator of the film, A Brief History of Time, recounted the discovery of his illness. He explained: "The doctors told him that he had about two and a half years to live and that only his heart, his lungs and his brain would remain functional while the rest of his body would turn into a cabbage"(1 ). the words echoed in my mind: "Only his heart, his lungs and his brain...". It seemed like a terrifying condition to befall a young man in his early twenties. But surprisingly, as the story progressed, I soon discovered that for him the onset of the disease marked a turning point from which his life truly began. And I was in awe of God. Just amazed. His name is Stephen Hawking. He is considered one of the greatest minds in science. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, in 1962. He is still alive. He describes his life philosophy before the diagnosis in these terms: "My attitude was that nothing was worth it" (2). In the film about his book, A Brief History of Time, it is explained how this philosophy was evident in his school work in which, despite his genius, he simply maintained a standing as an average student. In addition to his diagnosed condition, the film also highlights another factor that reshaped his philosophy and outlook on life. She found love in the heart of a woman, Jane Wilde, who testified: "Without my faith in God, I could not have lived in this situation (her husband's condition); I could not have married Stephen in the first place because I would not have had the optimism to carry me forward and I would not have been able to carry on" (3) With these two events, things began to matter to Stephen and he began to find meaning in the effort. His accomplishments, exemplified in A Brief History of Time, certainly attest to this. As the story unfolds, he not only lived more than two and a half years, he lived. He wrote, studied, taught, questioned himself as his condition progressed; and continues to live.