CAMBRIDGE, England – Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking was too ill to attend a conference in honor of his 70th birthday Sunday, but in a recorded message played to attendees, he repeated his call for humans to colonize other worlds.
University of Cambridge Vice Chancellor Leszek Borysiewicz told the conference that Hawking, who is almost completely paralyzed because of Lou Gehrig’s disease, had only recently been discharged from the hospital for an unspecified ailment.
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“Unfortunately, his recovery has not been fast enough for him to be able to be here,” Borysiewicz said.
In his recorded speech, Hawking pleaded for interplanetary travel, arguing that humans face a grim future unless they spread out from their terrestrial home. “I don’t think we will survive another thousand years without escaping beyond our fragile planet,” he said.
Hawking’s speech — delivered in his distinctive, robotic monotone — charmed the audience of scientists, students and journalists gathered at Cambridge’s Lady Mitchell Hall.
Colleagues including Nobel laureate Saul Perlmutter and renowned astronomer Martin Rees hailed Hawking as one of the most important physicists since Albert Einstein.
Borysiewicz said Hawking had “transformed our understanding of space and time, black holes, and the origins of the universe,” adding that he hoped that the scientist was watching the proceedings online.
“If you’re listening, Stephen, happy birthday from all of us here today,” Borysiewicz said to a round of applause.
A black hole expert, Hawking is one of the leading lights in theoretical astrophysics. His achievements are all the more remarkable because of his Lou Gehrig’s disease, an incurable degenerative disorder with which he was diagnosed as a 21-year-old. Most people die within a few years of the diagnosis, but Hawking has defied the odds and spent half a century carrying out pioneering research.
Kate’s birthday party to be ‘low-key and private’
LONDON – The former Kate Middleton turns 30 today — but royal fans expecting a lavish birthday bash to mark the milestone will be disappointed.
Palace officials said Sunday that the Duchess of Cambridge’s birthday celebration will be a “low-key and private” affair, appearing to quash press reports that she will see off her 20s with a fun ’80s-themed party, complete with karaoke.
The choice of a muted event seems appropriate: After all, the duchess is not just starting the fourth decade of her life — she is also embarking on her career as a future queen, charged with renovating a monarchy that has become somewhat creaky with age.
The past year has seen momentous changes for Kate, with a fairytale wedding to Prince William, travels around the world and glamorous appearances that marked her transition from commoner to the world’s most talked-about princess and style icon.
Movie based on ’24’ show
PASADENA, Calif. – Fans of Jack Bauer have something to look forward to. A movie based on the old Fox series “24” is scheduled to begin shooting this spring.
Actor Kiefer Sutherland said Sunday that he expects to go to work on the movie in late April or May. Sutherland played Bauer, the centerpiece on the adventure series.
And a new Fox series, “Touch,” features Sutherland as the father of a super-intelligent son. A sneak preview of the show will air Jan. 25. It joins Fox’s schedule in March.
‘Devil’ scares up audiences
LOS ANGELES – The fright flick “The Devil Inside” scared up a $34.5 million opening weekend to help Hollywood exorcise its recent box-office demons, according to studio estimates Sunday.
“Devil” bumped “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol” out of the top spot.
Overall, domestic revenue totaled $144 million, up 29 percent from the same weekend last year, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.
— From news service reports
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