The universe and whatever lies beyond lost Stephen Hawking early Wednesday morning at the age of 76, half a century after he was given just a few years to live. The brilliant and visionary physicist’s work on relativity and black holes gave us a closer understanding of how the universe works. He was one of the greatest, if not arguably the greatest, minds of our time. His scientific work, which strived to answer big questions like, “what the fuck are we doing here?” and “where the fuck are we going?” gave him an authority to speak on the greater meaning of life (or lack thereof). That ability gave him a place, much like his successor Neil deGrasse Tyson, in the pop culture zeitgeist. So along with being able to do really, really hard math, he communicated with wisdom and a great sense of humor. He once famously said in an interview with the New York Times, “life would be tragic if it weren't funny.” 

Here are some of his funniest moments outside of the stodgy science lab I’m convinced all scientists have to do all their work in.

The Simpsons

“I wanted to see your Utopia, but now I see it as more of a Frutopia.”

Futurama

Saddened to hear about Stephen Hawking’s death. :( He was a brilliant person, but also had a good sense of humor. Loved seeing him pop on shows like Futurama and The Simpsons. Descanse en paz. pic.twitter.com/Z7ODHsARj8
— David J. Peterson (@Dedalvs) March 14, 2018

Last Week Tonight

“You’ve stated that you believe there could be an infinite number of parallel universes, does that mean there is a universe out there where I am smarter than you?”

“Yes but also a universe where you are funny.”

Monty Python Galaxy Song

The Big Bang Theory