Ill Stephen Hawking Misses Birthday Celebrations
British scientist Stephen Hawking has had to miss a symposium to mark his 70th birthday because of ill health.
Professor Hawking was discharged from hospital only on Friday, Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, vice-chancellor of Cambridge University, told the event, at the university.
He said Mr Hawking, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease aged 21, would follow the symposium via webcast.
His talk is recorded and will be played in his absence.
It is entitled A Brief History of Mine.
Prof Hawking also had to miss all three days of a science conference held in his honour.
The auditorium at Cambridge University was packed with leading scientists and members of the public.
‘Warm applause’
And hopes had been high that Prof Hawking’s health would allow him to attend Sunday’s gathering.
But when Sir Leszek opened the event, he announced that Prof Hawking would not be able to attend.
The vice-chancellor went on to say that if Prof Hawking was listening he wished him a very happy birthday.
At that, the audience reacted with long and warm applause.
The public symposium, entitled The State of the Universe, will also hear from Astronomer Royal Lord Rees, this year’s winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics, Saul Perlmutter, and one of the world’s leading theoretical physicists Professor Kip Thorne.
Despite Prof Hawking spending most of his life as a wheelchair user and being able to speak only through a computer, the theoretical physicist’s quest for the secrets of the universe has made him arguably the most famous scientist in the world.
Many experts say he has defied medical science by reaching the age of 70 with motor neurone disease.
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