Wanted: Assistant for Stephen Hawking
POSTED: 1154 GMT (1954 HKT), September 6, 2006
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LONDON, England (AP) -- Wanted: bright graduate student to assist world-famous scientist. International travel, developing computer systems and dealing with the press required.

Renowned astrophysicist and best-selling author Stephen Hawking has announced he is looking for a graduate student to work for him one to two years.

The mathematics professor at the University of Cambridge has done groundbreaking work on black holes and the origins of the universe, making him one of the best-known theoretical physicists of his generation.

The candidate can earn about £23,500 ($44,300) and would likely join Hawking on his many travels abroad, according to a job posting on the university's Web site. Planning lectures, maintaining computer, answering public inquiries and helping with scientific papers are a few of the responsibilities.

One purpose of the job was to aid the professor in areas which he has difficulty due to his disability, the posting said.

The 64-year-old scientist uses a wheelchair and communicates with the help of a computer because he suffers from a neurological disorder called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease. He is almost completely paralyzed.

Chris Burgoyne, who has a bachelor's degree in mathematics at the University of Manchester, served as the professor's assistant from 1998-2000.

He said that during his 17 months working for Hawking he traveled to Berlin and several big cities in the United States including, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston and Washington, and met former President Bill Clinton. Expanding the professor's Web site was one of his main responsibilities.

"Flexibility, stamina and a confident and caring personality, together with a valid driving license, are essential for this demanding job," another advertisement said.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TECH/sci...in.hawking.ap/

Stephen Hawking to divorce second wife
19.10.06
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Splitting up: Stephen Hawking and his second wife Elaine
Professor Stephen Hawking and his wife Elaine are to divorce.

Mrs Hawking, 55, has already moved out of the home she shared with the world's most famous scientist, and divorce papers have been lodged by both parties at Cambridge County Court.

Their 11-year marriage has been dogged by allegations that Elaine physically abused her wheelchair-bound husband, who has suffered from motor neurone disease since he was 22.

Police have twice launched criminal investigations into how Prof Hawking, 64, received unexplained injuries, including broken bones, but on both occasions he was unwilling to say how he had been harmed and the inquiries had to be dropped.

Both he and Elaine have publicly denied in the past that she had hurt him.

The grounds for the divorce remained a mystery yesterday, with neither party prepared to comment, but sources close to the couple said the decision to separate was 'mutual'.

Mrs Hawking could be in line for a seven-figure payout from Prof Hawking's estimated £5million fortune, largely built up from the success of his 1988 book A Brief History of Time, which sold 10 million copies.

Yesterday she cycled to Prof Hawking's large detached home in Cambridge, where she was understood to have attended a meeting with solicitors handling the divorce.

Prof Hawking later left the house with his carers for a medical appointment at Addenbrooke's Hospital.

A source close to the family said: "Yes, they are getting divorced. It was a mutual decision and no-one else is involved.

"Elaine has moved out of the house and it is all in the hands of the solicitors."

Prof Hawking, who is Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University, divorced his first wife Jane Wilde in 1990 after 26 years of marriage. They had three children, Robert, 39, Lucy, 36, and Timothy, 27.

In 1995 he wed Elaine Mason, a long-serving carer of his, whose ex-husband David had designed the electronic voice synthesiser which Prof Hawking relies on to communicate.

Jane Hawking later claimed that Elaine had deliberately driven a wedge between her and her husband, while friends claimed the nurse effectively 'brainwashed' her charge.

In November 2000 a police investigation was launched after Prof Hawking made a number of visits to the accident and emergency department of Addenbrooke's, with injuries including a broken arm, a broken wrist, a gashed face, black eyes and a torn lip.

Prof Hawking declined to explain exactly how his injuries had come about, except to say that on one occasion he had fallen out of his wheelchair after colliding with a wall.

The investigation fizzled out, but in August 2003 another was launched after his daughter Lucy phoned police.

He had been left outside in his wheelchair for so long that he suffered severe heatstroke and sunburn, and had also suffered more unexplained bumps and bruises.

Once again, Prof Hawking refused to make a complaint to police.

Lucy Hawking later said that she believed it was Elaine who had broken her father's wrist in 2000 and suggested Elaine had only married Prof Hawking in the hope of inheriting his money.

In 2004 Prof Hawking's former personal assistant Sue Masey described Elaine as 'a monster' and said she quit her job because "I could no longer carry on without feeling that I was colluding in what was happening".

Another former carer claimed new nurses were subjected to a bizarre 'initiation' by Elaine, in which they were called to the bedroom to find Prof Hawking and his naked wife having sex.

This was, said the carer, "to make it clear that they had a sexual relationship" despite his chronic disability.

A team of nurses who give him round-the-clock care are required to sign a confidentiality agreement, giving an air of secrecy to the goings-on inside the Hawking family home.

Asked whether Prof Hawking would be making any comment on his divorce, his secretary Judith Croasdell said: "He is far too busy. This is just a distraction which is really annoying. We don't have any time for any of this.

"We have no interest in any of the gossip that is going on."

His youngest son Timothy said: '"t's not really my business to discuss - I'm not the one getting divorced."

Despite his disability, Prof Hawking, who is the world's longest suffering survivor of motor neurone disease, regularly lectures at Cambridge University and travels the world delivering lectures.

Last year, because of a further deterioration in his health, he lost the ability to control his computer with a hand-operated switch, and he now controls it by blinking.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/a...ife/article.do

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.

continued...
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

PALS know why .
Fotios

Boy does he look uncomfortable in that chair, I just feel like straightening him up lol

He's probably the most comfortable sat like that,I sit virtually the same as him with my head slightly over to the right and my right hand across on my left arm.
Just wish I had his brain and money. lol

i just wish i did not have als, i was verry happy working making money.
im still happy tho