The Best Of Stephen Hawking

All the great scientists, and this is one of them. Kepler and Galileo, Newton. We got one right here. It's fantastic, amazing. My name is Stephen Hawking. For the past 50 years, I have traveled the world, studying and lecturing about time and space, and the laws that govern the universe. I have lived over two-thirds of my life, with the threat of death hanging over me. Because every new day could be my last, I have developed a desire to make the most of each and every minute. Although I'm 71 now, I still go to work every day at Cambridge University. I'll see you in a bit. Enjoy shopping. Keeping an active mind has been vital to my survival, as has been maintaining a sense of humour. When I went to my job interview, I thought he was going to ask me about my past medical history and what I've done before in care, but he didn't. He asked whether I could cook poached eggs. I was 19 at the time, and I lied, because I didn't know how to cook poached eggs, but I got the job straight away. Do you enjoy my company? Maybe. You're horrible to me, aren't you? Yes. Tonight, I am guest of honour at the launch of a supercomputer called Cosmos in Cambridge. Cosmos is one of the most powerful computers in the world and will enable us to better understand our place in the universe. The notion of fame is a curious thing to me. In my mind, I am a scientist who has been lucky to work on some of the fundamental mysteries of our universe. Sometimes I wonder if I am as famous for my wheelchair and disabilities as I am for my discoveries. I have always wanted to share my enthusiasm and excitement. There's nothing like the eureka moment of discovering something that no one knew before. I won't compare it to sex, but it lasts longer. Sometimes, even astronauts drop by. My voice is listened to because I did something 43 years ago. I have the sense of humans reaching outward and succeeding, but I believe that he is valued more because he has the pure analytical combined with the philosophical that comes from his understanding of the beginnings and the ends of the universe. I have often dreamt about travelling through space myself. Recently, I got closer by experiencing a zero-gravity flight. It was also a moment that temporarily stripped me of my disability. A feeling of true freedom. As I am now considered a so-called famous person, more and more of my time is taken up with my public life. For this, I rely greatly upon my team around me. You are really the gatekeeper in this role. You get the general fan mail, a hero worshipping him really. Then you get people who are obsessed with religion and God and the fact that Professor Hawking doesn't appear to have a God as such that they can feel comfortable about. So you get a huge range of what we call the God letters. And then you get letters from the disabled, serious scientists, mostly people full of admiration for Professor Hawking and what he has achieved. He is a great iconic figure and he enjoys his public appearances. And it's great that he's still very engaged with everything that surrounds him. So, if you want to explore the inside of a black hole, choose a big one. People have searched for many black holes of this mass, but have so far not found any. This is a pity, because if they had, I would have bought a Nobel Prize. If you had asked me 40 years ago if I ever thought I would be talking in front of a sell-out crowd and be a part of popular culture, I would have laughed. But, if my getting involved with the zeitgeist that is upon us has encouraged people to question our universe, then I am okay. Life has thrown at me both good times and bad. Perhaps it is human nature that we adapt and survive. As for me, I have lived with the prospect of an early death most of my life. I'm not afraid of dying, but I'm in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do and find out first. So for now, goodbye, and thank you for coming on a journey through my world.