Why were Stephen Hawking's discoveries important?

Answer 1

Of Hawking's many contributions to theoretical physics, perhaps two stand out. His work on discovering and defining black holes has allowed us to explain much of the missing information about how the universe started and about it's ultimate fate.

Secondly, his proposal of matter-antimatter pair anhillation near a black hole event horizon and his conclusions that black holes must actually glow slightly (more glow for smaller black holes) is one of the best scientific theories that tie together Einstein's theory of Relativity and Quantum theory. These two great breakthroughs of the 20th century are often in conflict and this is a cause of great irritation and embarrassment to physicists (who hate to be wrong or even partly right). So, Hawking's work is seen as a paragon because it is consistant with both theories.

Answer 2

Stephen Hawking's discoveries were important because they advanced our understanding of the universe, particularly in the fields of cosmology and black holes. His work helped to unify quantum mechanics and general relativity, and his theories on black holes contributed to our knowledge of how these mysterious objects interact with and influence the surrounding space. Hawking's research has had a profound impact on physics and continues to influence scientists and researchers today.