Hawking has time for pupils
By Emma Clark

Professor Stephen Hawking. Picture 41A3415: PIPPA DOUGLAS
SCORES of students queued up to get a glimpse of celebrity genius Stephen Hawking last week during a visit to his former St Albans School.

The theoretical physicist gave a lecture at St Albans School, Abbey Gateway, on Thursday afternoon in front of an attentive audience of more than 600 students and teachers, titled The Origin of Time.

More than 15 other schools from surrounding areas were also invited to bring along their sixth form students to the event which lasted just over an hour.

Physics and maths students Sam Kirsop and Philip Cooke were impressed with how accessible the lecture was despite the complex theories being discussed.

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They said: "He used humour and lots of analogies which made it easy to follow.

"He was explaining his theories about the expansion of the universe and the beginnings of creation and it was fascinating.

"It's amazing to think how much he's achieved considering his disability."

Three lucky students were also taken out by Professor Hawking for a meal at St Michael's Manor in Fishpool Street, along with headmaster Andrew Grant and two physics teachers.

Heather Wong, one of the three physics students taken out for dinner, said: "I was so surprised when I was asked, we all had a great time.

"He said the school seemed the same as when he was there and that the abbey was identical to how he remembered.

"He was telling us to make the most of every opportunity when they come up and we talked about his new book."

Stephen Hawking moved to St Albans from Oxford when he was eight years old but then moved back to begin university there.

At 21 he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease which has slowly paralysed his limbs and now uses a speech synthesizer controlled through movements in his face, to communicate following the loss of his voice.

One topic the students were desperate to hear his opinion on was his appearance in the animated comedy series The Simpsons.

He said he was not impressed with the yellow complexion but he might consider getting the boxing glove and the helicopter blades installed into his next wheelchair.
http://www.stalbansobserver.co.uk/ne...for_pupils.php
9:45am Thursday 19th October 2006