Hawking/

[Artoo]

Hmmm! Just watched a TV prog about Stephen Hawking, which effectively attributed the Big Bang Theory to him. Good television, bad history!

[kathyv]

Wasn't sure if you meant the scientist or hunting with birds! LOL

Fascinating man. He is one person (of many) I would like to meet.

[Artoo]

There's no doubt that Hawking is one of the great _living_ _physicists_ but the jury is out though on whether he is one of the greatest physicists of the last 100 years, far less the 'greatest scientist ever', as I've seen him described.

In a way, his disability clouds the issue for there's no doubt that he would not have the same _popular_ fame had he been able-bodied. Time will tell (pun intended).

[DevineHerring]

Artoo I think you're dead on on your evaluation of Hawking though I'm still in awe of him and people with such agile minds. My favorite 20th century physicist is Richard Feynman who was a bet eccentric, much more than an acedemic and more than a little successful even if he didn't end up in the news a lot. http://www.amasci.com/feynman.html
My favorite Feynman quote :
"I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it is much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers that might be wrong."