Stephen Hawking is a scientist.
Cosmology ( from the Greek κόσμος , kosmos `` world '' and - λογία , - logia `` study of '' ) is the study of the origin , evolution , and eventual fate of the universe . The Pontifical Academy of Sciences ( Pontificia accademia delle scienze , Pontificia Academia Scientiarum ) is a scientific academy of the Vatican City , established in 1936 by Pope Pius XI , and thriving with the blessing of the Papacy ever since . Stephen William Hawking , ( born 8 January 1942 ) is an English theoretical physicist , cosmologist , author and Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology within the University of Cambridge . Theoretical physics . The advancement of science depends in general on the interplay between experimental studies and theory .