Hawking Moving to Waterloo (Perimeter Institute)?

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The discussion centers around Stephen Hawking's potential move to the Perimeter Institute in Ontario, driven by the appointment of his colleague Neil Turok as executive director. While some speculate on the implications of this move amid funding crises in the UK, particularly affecting condensed matter physics, others express skepticism about Hawking's retirement, given his passion for work. The conversation highlights the challenges faced by researchers in the UK, with reports of a lack of grants impacting institutions like Cavendish. Despite the speculation surrounding Hawking's relocation, it is noted that he may not need to move permanently, as he has previously been offered a distinguished research chair at Perimeter. The dialogue reflects concerns about funding in various fields of physics and the impact on prominent researchers.
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Very interesting George.
 
Now that's one way to put some serious pressure on your government!
 
Gokul43201 said:
Now that's one way to put some serious pressure on your government!

But it's hardly like Hawking or the rest of DAMTP gets hit by the funding crisis.

Anyway, I'll wait and see if Hawking really moves- from that newspaper article, all that was apparent was that he was going to visit Perimeter for a month. That said, he is 66, so presumably will be retiring soon anyway.
 
cristo said:
But it's hardly like Hawking or the rest of DAMTP gets hit by the funding crisis.

Anyway, I'll wait and see if Hawking really moves- from that newspaper article, all that was apparent was that he was going to visit Perimeter for a month. That said, he is 66, so presumably will be retiring soon anyway.


I have never pictures Hawking retiring, I watched a documentary a while back called master of the universe or something like that, and the man looked to driven by his work I really can't imagine him retiring until his condition deteriorates to a state where he can no longer work.
 
cristo said:
But it's hardly like Hawking or the rest of DAMTP gets hit by the funding crisis.
He doesn't even have to move ... but the PR damage was done when all the speculation began.

Incidentally, I was only recently given an idea of how bad the problem is in the UK when I got an email from a big group at Cavendish, saying they haven't had a grant come through in ages.

But based on your comment above, I wonder if Condensed Matter is not suffering more than other fields.
 
But he's also being encouraged to move to Ontario by his University of Cambridge colleague Neil Turok, the mathematical physicist who will take over as Perimeter's executive director on Oct. 1. Perimeter confirmed last night that it has made a standing offer to Hawking.
Interesting. Turok is headed there to assume position of executive director.

Dr. Neil Turok Appointed Executive Director of Perimeter Institute
http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/News/In_The_Media/Dr._Neil_Turok_Appointed_Executive_Director_of_Perimeter_Institute

With Stephen Hawking, he later developed the Hawking-Turok instanton solutions describing the birth of inflationary universes.
So perhaps - Hawking would be enticed by Turok's move to PI.
 
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Gokul43201 said:
He doesn't even have to move ... but the PR damage was done when all the speculation began.[\quote]
Sure, and I don't think there are many people who would disagree with his comments regarding the amalgamation of the two research councils.
But based on your comment above, I wonder if Condensed Matter is not suffering more than other fields.

So my comments may have been a little blasse (sp?), but the centre for theoretical cosmology was only created last year so there must have been some funding there! It is possible that condensed matter has been hit harder- experimental grants do tend to cost more!
 
Raymond Laflamme, who is the director of the institute for quantum computing in Waterloo, is also a former student of Stephen Hawking... I can't imagine that Hawking would consider moving to Perimeter for the terrific weather.
 
  • #10
"Professor Stephen Hawking to Regularly Visit Canada's Perimeter Institute as Distinguished Research Chair"
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2008/27/c4487.html
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081127.whawking1127/BNStory/National
 
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  • #11
fourier jr said:
"Professor Stephen Hawking to Regularly Visit Canada's Perimeter Institute as Distinguished Research Chair"
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2008/27/c4487.html
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081127.whawking1127/BNStory/National

Great news.
The above article is on the PI site
http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/News/In_The_Media/Stephen_Hawking_to_Regularly_Visit_Perimeter_Institute_as_Distinguished_Research_Chair as noted by http://science.slashdot.org/science/08/11/27/2238252.shtml
 
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  • #12
I guess that this means that all physicists are now morally obliged to use a Blackberry while drinking our Carlsberg:wink:
 
  • #13
cristo said:
That said, he is 66, so presumably will be retiring soon anyway.

Ummm... what exactly would he do with his spare time? All he can really do anymore is think, and by the looks of it he really likes to do that.
 
  • #14
WarPhalange said:
Ummm... what exactly would he do with his spare time? All he can really do anymore is think, and by the looks of it he really likes to do that.

As in retiring from his job: the Lucasian chair. You have to retire from such positions. Anyway, this thread was started before he'd announced his retirement.
 
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