Tech & Biz

Astronomer and author Stephen Hawking is retiring

by Yuliya Talmazan | October 24, 2008 at 08:51 am

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Stephen Hawking, a famous cosmologist and author of an epic book “A Brief History of Time” is retiring from his position at Cambridge University next year. However, his retirement will not preclude the famous physicist from continuing his studies of time and space. Hawking worked on big problems in physics, such as black holes and the nature of time. He is severely paralyzed as a result of a progressive neurological disease and uses an advanced computer voice generation system to communicate with his colleagues, which poses quite a challenge for Hawking himself and people around him. His ability to overcome hardship and do amazing science has always made me admire him as a human being. I am glad he is not giving up science yet.

University policy is that officeholders must retire at the end of the academic year in which they become 67. Hawking will reach that milestone on Jan. 8.

Hawking was appointed to the chair in 1979.

His 1988 book, "A Brief History of Time," was an international best-seller; "A Briefer History of Time," intended to be more accessible, followed in 2005.

A spokeswoman explained it was University policy for professors to "pass the baton" in the year they reach the age of 67.

She said Prof Hawking's diary is already booked up to 2012.

"The post is retiring but Hawking isn't," the spokeswoman said. "Nothing will change. It is merely a formality."

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RayBanBro66

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 12:36 on October 24th, 2008

yuls.source, I like this story. It's good stuff. This is really a BIG story especially for those of us
interested in astronomy and the countless contributions Mr Hawking's has given to the (science) community. Nice to know though that he will be continuing his studies