Stephen Hawking to speak on origins of universe |
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08 March 2007 ATTENTION: News and science editors, writers and producers |
Contact:
Robert Sanders, Media Relations
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WHAT
A discussion of theories of the origin of the universe by iconic author and astrophysicist Stephen W. Hawking, whose book "A Briefer History of Time," came out last year. He will address a sold-out crowd at the University of California, Berkeley.
Hawking's talk is this year's J. Robert Oppenheimer Lecture, presented by the UC Berkeley Department of Physics and co-sponsored by the College of Letters & Science and Cal Performances.
WHEN
Tuesday, March 13, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE
Zellerbach Auditorium, UC Berkeley. Because of overwhelming interest in the talk, a live video simulcast will be presented in Wheeler Auditorium. The talk also will be Webcast at: http://webcast.berkeley.edu/events.php beginning at around 7:25 p.m. A campus map is at: http://www.berkeley.edu/map/maps/CDEF345.html.
DETAILS
Hawking, 65, is known worldwide as the epitome of intellect trapped in a body left nearly paralyzed by a lifelong affliction with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often called Lou Gehrig's disease. Despite his disability, he has authored numerous papers applying Einstein's Theory of General Relativity to the physics of black holes, spacetime and the Big Bang.
His 1988 book, "A Brief History of Time," three subsequent books and numerous cameo appearances on television series such as Star Trek and The Simpsons have catapulted him into the public eye, and his mind continues to turn out papers on theoretical physics and cosmology.
He currently holds the position of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University, a chair formerly held by Isaac Newton. In his lecture, he will discuss some of his cosmological theories, including how time can have a beginning and the progress made by cosmologists in an area that has traditionally belonged to theologians and philosophers.