Behind the News Cycle

The “most famous” living scientist in the world, British physics Prof. Steven Hawking of the University of Cambridge, will visit Israel for two weeks starting December 1.

 

He will spend most of his time in Jerusalem, especially at the Hebrew University. Hawking shared the 1988 Wolf Prize in Physics with Prof. Roger Penrose of the University of Oxford for their “brilliant development of the theory of general relativity, in which they have shown the necessity for cosmological singularities and have elucidated the physics of black holes.

 

“In this work they have greatly enlarged our understanding of the origin and possible fate of the Universe,” the Wolf Prize jury said. His visit is being organized by the British Embassy.

 

Although he is almost totally paralyzed by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig disease or motor neuron disease) and unable to speak, he is able to communicate via computer, is married with children and has a flourishing scientific career.

Hawking and second wife agree to divorce

 

By David Sapsted
Last Updated: 1:43am BST 21/10/2006

 

Prof Stephen Hawking is to divorce for a second time.

 

Papers have been lodged at Cambridge county court to end the 11-year marriage of the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University to Elaine Hawking, 55. It is understood that the couple both want to divorce following the breakdown of the marriage.