Our British Cousins
At times I worry about our British cousins. I just read that they are considering eliminating the standard pint of beer in favor of two-thirds of a pint of beer. That is roughly the size of a standard bottle of beer in the Colonies. What's a bloke to do?
I also learned that Stephen Hawking, perhaps the most brilliant mind of our times, will retire from Cambridge University next year. Seems that at the end of the year in which you turn 67, you must retire. That you just happen to be the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics — that's the same chair Sir Isaac Newton held — doesn't matter. What's a bloke to do?
Well, in the case of Hawkins the University is creating a new chair, Emeritus Lucasian Professor of Mathematics. In other words, the only change is the addition of a word. Practical solution to a practical problem.
Hawking has suffered from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's Disease) all his life. He has long been immobilized and unable to feed himself. Although his speech is no longer discernible, he can move a finger and communicates with the aid of a computer. He requires 24-hour nursing care paid for by private foundations.
Hawkings writes for both esteemed physics colleagues and the common man alike. He is most broadly known for his book, "A Brief History of Time". It contains exactly one equation (Einstein's E=mc² relating energy to mass) and is a fine read.
I also learned that Stephen Hawking, perhaps the most brilliant mind of our times, will retire from Cambridge University next year. Seems that at the end of the year in which you turn 67, you must retire. That you just happen to be the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics — that's the same chair Sir Isaac Newton held — doesn't matter. What's a bloke to do?
Well, in the case of Hawkins the University is creating a new chair, Emeritus Lucasian Professor of Mathematics. In other words, the only change is the addition of a word. Practical solution to a practical problem.
Hawking has suffered from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's Disease) all his life. He has long been immobilized and unable to feed himself. Although his speech is no longer discernible, he can move a finger and communicates with the aid of a computer. He requires 24-hour nursing care paid for by private foundations.
Hawkings writes for both esteemed physics colleagues and the common man alike. He is most broadly known for his book, "A Brief History of Time". It contains exactly one equation (Einstein's E=mc² relating energy to mass) and is a fine read.
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