Community | April 20, 2009 | 45 comments

Stephen Hawking Hospitalized

source: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/04/20/world/AP-EU-Britain-Hawking.html?src=twt&twt=nytimes

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DeliaTheArtist
"Famed mathematician Stephen Hawking has been rushed to a hospital and is seriously ill, Cambridge University said Monday.

The university said Hawking has been fighting a chest infection for several weeks, and was being treated at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, the university city north of London.

''Professor Hawking is very ill,'' said Gregory Hayman, the university's head of communications. ''He is undergoing tests. He has been unwell for a couple of weeks.''

Hawking, 67, gained renown for his work on black holes, and has remained active despite being diagnosed at 21 with motor neurone disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), an incurable degenerative disease.

For some years, Hawking has been almost entirely paralyzed, and he communicates through an electronic voice synthesizer activated by his fingers.

''Professor Hawking is a remarkable colleague. We all hope he will be amongst us again soon,'' said Professor Peter Haynes, head of the university's Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics."
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45 comments // Stephen Hawking Hospitalized

  • charfman
    • 0
      charfman  

    • To lucidstone:
      Here is a message from the lowlife morons that plague your life... Sounds to me like your ego is even bigger than your IQ...
      "Pompous ass you are"... Yoda

    • 3 years ago
  • lucidstone
    • 0
      lucidstone  
    • charfman:

      My focus was entirely on the public perception surrounding the "mysticism" of Stephen Hawking, NOT about me . . . I think you misread, my friend.

      In reality, I'm actually exceedingly humble over my talents. I don't believe 160 is that high, and it's higher than my own (which I had only offered for comparative purposes, even still I was humble enough not to quantify) . . . So, what would you think that means about my own self perceptions? I actually feel below average most of the time as there are plenty of things that I struggle with.

      To borrow words from another, I actually feel like a monkey trying to put two sticks together to reach a banana . . . so I really don't think "ego" is a problem for me, after all we're all just a bunch of monkeys. =)

      But I suppose in breaking that social taboo of discussing relative mental talents, a red flag went up and that is what you saw . . . so again, I would say that I think you misread me.

    • 3 years ago
  • pinto1203
    • 0
      pinto1203  
    • charfman:

      "...there I go showing off again,
      self-impressed by how well I can put myself down!
      and there I go again, to the next further removed level
      of that same exact feigned humility!
      (and this for me goes on and on to the point of nausea)"

      -Wolf Am I! (And Shadow) by mewithoutYou

      I couldn't help posting the above lyrics after reading your discussion. Please don't take it personally, lucidstone.

    • 3 years ago
  • Sam_the_Wizer
    • 0
      Sam_the_Wizer  
    • charfman:

      I don't know how much weight I would put on IQ. I have an IQ estimated (but not formally tested) around 150, but I'm scatterbrained and lazy, and use it for nothing more than fleeting amusements. Knowing what pursuits are worthwhile and efficiently and persistently using one's energies to acheive a goal tend to yield more than intelligence alone. By the way, anyone into number theory?

    • 3 years ago
  • RazC
  • charfman
    • 0
      charfman  

    • Obvoiusly the man is nearly universally held in high esteem... As do I...
      But if he were conceived today, the doctors would be able to determine his genetic proclivity for the disease which ravaged him in his adult life so he today he might end up as an abortion... I am not trying to make an anti abortion statement here... I consider myself pro choice... but think about it...

    • 3 years ago
  • DeliaTheArtist
  • lucidstone
  • Bahai144
  • lucidstone
    • 0
      lucidstone  
    • lucidstone:

      Meh, he discovered black hole radiation (which is badass) but that's about it . . . and he's been very wrong about a lot of his speculations including the basic nature of time (which he admitted in the brief history of time) as well as the concept of baby universes in black holes . . . let alone the basic premise of whether or not information is conserved once passing the event horizon.

      Furthermore, I don't think an explanation of black holes as a singularity really explains what goes on inside the black hole. Singularities, like infinities, are fine to work with inside mathematical models . . . but they don't necessarily explain reality at all.

      But, I really don't expect to have an in depth conversation on physics on this site, let alone with someone of your worldview (no offense, but you never came across as someone particularly well versed in science).

      And it's not about me, it's about the perceptions of the public at large . . . and that was my point.

      Also, he became interested in selling books and making documentaries because he was concerned about financially providing for his family once he knew where his Lou Gehrig's disease was headed, and I don't blame him for that . . . but I do recognize him as somewhat of a sensationalist.

      And I don't think he would have gotten nearly as much attention by the public if our culture wasn't so fascinated by his disease as well as the idea of a person (let alone a genius) being a human/computer hybrid.

      There's plenty of great physicists and mathematicians in the world, that aren't revered by the public, that I find to be far more impressive than him.

      And honestly . . . not that it matters but his 160 IQ isn't that far off from my own, he's genius . . . but he's not super genius.

    • 3 years ago
  • Bahai144
    • 0
      Bahai144  

    • Through my involvement with the Baha'i Faith, I was privileged to make a special connection with Steven in Aspen a few years back. I pray that God keeps him from suffering and, that if it be God's Will, we meet here on this earthly plane once more. If not, I will look forward to seeing him in the ABHA Kingdom. God bless Stephen Hawking.

    • 3 years ago
  • ManBearPigLives
  • mohsint06
  • central_philosophy
  • ashcatash
    • 0
      ashcatash  

    • That's really sad. I hope he gets better.
      BTW- anyone read The Universe in a Nutshell? Deep stuff, but very interesting and well-written.

    • 3 years ago
  • boywhocould
    • 0
      boywhocould  

    • It would be a great loss to be sure, but so is the multitude of people with great potential who choose to be ignorant, we should celebrate his choice to make our world better an not just simply his being or great works... motives matter and that is something to learn from too.

    • 3 years ago
  • Hendrix_Is_God
    • 0
      Hendrix_Is_God  

    • The mans a Genius. He goes down in the history books as one of the greatest minds ever, along with Wittgenstein and the like.

      Pull through Steve.

    • 3 years ago
  • DeliaTheArtist
  • ManBearPigLives
  • Sam_the_Wizer
    • 0
      Sam_the_Wizer  

    • I got to see him give a lecture when I was young. It was a once in a lifetime experience. It was one of the key moments in my life that inspired me to study astronomy, math, and physics. He's lived well beyond what anyone had expected for him and has lived a full life. If he doesn't make it he will be missed.

    • 3 years ago
  • Panjetan
  • AmourTerreux
  • wmorrison13
  • Agent_Alpha
  • Nephwrack
  • RubyJ
    • 0
      RubyJ  

    • I am sending out prayers and healing thoughts. The world is better because of you Dr. Hawkings. Get well soon!

    • 3 years ago
  • sickinjersey
  • MoneyLoo
  • RepressThis
  • ManBearPigLives
  • nursediesel
  • vistapoint
  • fun_size
  • wirehedd
    • 0
      wirehedd  
    • fun_size:

      more like 1 in several billion. Professor Hawking is one of my greatest heroes. His brilliance couldn't be held back by even the most debilitating disease.

      Hoping he recovers and resumes his amazing work.

    • 3 years ago
  • uberdeft
  • Saladin
  • uberdeft
    • 0
      uberdeft  
    • Saladin:

      He figures in multiple dozen page calculations and references them in his head with corrections, its amazing to me. At least he got his trip to space, hope it didn't kill him.

    • 3 years ago
  • iPedro
    • 0
      iPedro  
    • Saladin:

      He didn't go yet. He got to fly in zero-G on board a parabolic flight. His plans to go to space rest on Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic space flights, due to launch this year.

    • 3 years ago
  • DeliaTheArtist
  • DeliaTheArtist
  • FallenMorgan
  • MiguelSanchez
  • Wessagusset_Oracle
  • middle_east
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