Stephen Hawking is an amazing human being because he is a talking brain in a zombie body.
I am not surprised that his words are treated much like the Wizard of Oz.
However, a few words of caution are worth considering regarding Dr. Hawking. I have never read his books and don't plan to. Nobody I have talked to who knows physics has wasted their time on them.
His periodic pronouncements about black holes and the evolution of the universe do not strike me as being extraordinary and outside the realm of most ordinary physics.
One statement he did make shows that his physical disease has damaged his brain. He has a mental illness of serious consequence. His amygdala has been taken over by hatred of Jews which to me is a sign of brain dysfunction.
He continues to be the Wizard of Oz making statements about artificial intelligence, on global warming and the human future that seem to bear no evidence of intelligence.
This blog remains as a tribute to the view the Stephen Hawking's is grossly overrated in every way except for his ability to cope with his disabilities.