All 2,500 tickets for world-renowned scientist and cosmologist
Stephen Hawking's first Hong Kong public lecture on June 15 have
been snatched away, the organizer of Hong Kong University of
Science and Technology said on Monday.
At a press briefing, Director of the university's Development
and Public Affairs C K Yeung said that Hawking will arrive in Hong
Kong on June 12 afternoon accompanied by his daughter and research
and medical assistants.
This will be the first visit to Hong Kong for Hawking, who is
currently Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the Department of
Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of
Cambridge.
At the lecture titled "The Origin of the Universe," Hawking will
discuss theories on the origin of the universe and explain how time
can have a beginning and the progress made by cosmologists.
A local artist will be invited to sketch the a portrait for the
scientist during the lecture which will be presented to him as a
souvenir, said Yeung.
Besides giving a lecture, Hawking will also meet local members
of academic organizations and participate in a tree-planting
ceremony, which will be held in the university campus.
Hawking was considered to be one of the greatest scientific
geniuses alive. Despite being physically challenged by Lou Gehrig's
disease, he has continued to intrigue the scientific world by his
insightful thinking on time, space, black holes and the origin and
future of the universe.
He is the recipient of many awards, medals and prizes, including
the Albert Einstein Award, the most prestigious in theoretical
physics.
(Xinhua News Agency June 6, 2006)
