Stephen Hawking: Communicating with the World?

In summary, Stephen Hawking is still able to communicate with the outside world through a device that tracks his eye movements. He has stepped down from his position as the Lucasian chair of mathematics at Cambridge, but he has given lectures and published a paper as recently as 2009. While his communication may be slow, he can still converse in real-time thanks to sophisticated software. He has pre-written responses stored on his computer and can also write out new responses for more in-depth questions. It is unknown if he is still actively contributing to the field, but his previous work has made significant contributions.
  • #1
Wannabeagenius
91
0
Hi All,

Is Stephen Hawking still able to communicate with the outside world or has he become totally incommunicado?

If he is able to communicate, is he still contributing to the field?

Thank you,
Bob
 
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  • #2
Wannabeagenius said:
Hi All,

Is Stephen Hawking still able to communicate with the outside world or has he become totally incommunicado?

If he is able to communicate, is he still contributing to the field?

Thank you,
Bob

His most recent publication was "The Classical Universes of the No-Boundary Quantum State " in 2008, so it's questionable whether he is still "actively" contributing to the field, but at least as recently as September of 2009 he was the Lucasian chair of mathematics at Cambridge (he has stepped down since then.) He gave a lecture at CERN in late 2009 on the spontaneous creation of the universe.
 
  • #3
He can certainly still communicate, but very slowly. He has a device that can track his eye movements, I think...you can probably look it up. I don't know if he still does a lot of active research...I think most of his important, calculation-heavy stuff was done much earlier, when he still had the use of his limbs.

He does give lectures, painstakingly written out beforehand. He can converse in real-time (albeit slowly), thanks to some sophisticated software using the eye-tracking. From what I understand, he has a lot of pre-written responses stored on his computer and can select which one he wants to say. Questions requiring more depth can be answered by writing out a new response.
 
  • #4
Who is Stephen Howking ?
I doubt his lecture is very boring
edit: i asked so because i attended most lectures by old professors and none of them could made me laugh, their monotonous voice just vould nver wake me up especially if the previous nigt I hhad to watch stars movie or busy online learning how to do businesses
 
Last edited:

1. Who is Stephen Hawking and why is he famous?

Stephen Hawking was a British theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author. He is famous for his groundbreaking work in the fields of general relativity and quantum mechanics, as well as his popular science books such as "A Brief History of Time".

2. How did Stephen Hawking communicate with the world?

Stephen Hawking suffered from a motor neuron disease that left him paralyzed and unable to speak. He used a speech-generating device, controlled by his cheek muscle, to communicate with the world. He also communicated through his writings and lectures.

3. What was Stephen Hawking's contribution to science?

Stephen Hawking made significant contributions to the fields of cosmology, quantum gravity, and black holes. He developed the theory of Hawking radiation, which states that black holes emit radiation and eventually evaporate. He also proposed the idea of the singularity, a point of infinite density and space-time curvature.

4. How did Stephen Hawking's condition affect his work and communication?

Stephen Hawking's condition severely limited his mobility and speech, but it did not hinder his brilliant mind. He continued to work and publish groundbreaking theories despite his physical limitations. His communication was slow and laborious, but he was able to convey complex ideas through his writings and speeches.

5. What impact did Stephen Hawking have on society?

Stephen Hawking's work and contributions to science have had a profound impact on society. He inspired countless people to pursue careers in science and challenged our understanding of the universe. His popular science books also made complex scientific concepts accessible to the general public, sparking interest and curiosity about the world around us.

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