Hawking now Director of Research at Cambridge… Steps down as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University…
A transcription of physicist Stephen Hawking’s audio message to Newsnight in which he explains why he is standing down from the prestigious academic title of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University. Previous holders of the position include Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Babbage.
Ok gang, PREDICTION TIME who will be the next Lucasian Professor of Mathematics? Post your prediction(s) up in the comments, winner will gets a copy of Astronomy Hacks.
So far it’s been…
1664 Isaac Barrow
1669 Sir Isaac Newton
1702 William Whiston
1711 Nicholas Saunderson
1739 John Colson
1760 Edward Waring
1798 Isaac Milner
1820 Robert Woodhouse
1822 Thomas Turton
1826 Sir George Biddell Airy
1828 Charles Babbage
1839 Joshua King
1849 Sir George Stokes
1903 Sir Joseph Larmor
1932 Paul Dirac
1969 Sir James Lighthill
1979 Stephen Hawking
In 2395 it will be Data, but that won’t happen for awhile.
34 thoughts on “Stephen Hawking steps down as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University”
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… is roger penrose
Andrew Fabian
nice one @eric
How about Al Gore? He invented the internet. I’m sure he could do this too…
@Ian, c’mon that joke isn’t even funny, it was barely funny for maybe a few weeks in 1999, 10 years ago.
al gore never said he invented the internet, but here’s what he did say…
“during my service in the united states congress, i took the initiative in creating the internet. i took the initiative in moving forward a whole range of initiatives that have proven to be important to our country’s economic growth and environmental protection, improvements in our educational system.”
perhaps he could have phrased it better, but it doesn’t appear he said he invented the internet.
all that said…al gore was presented a lifetime achievement award for 30 years of contributions to the internet. vint cerf said “he is indeed due some thanks and consideration for his early contributions”.
vint cerf, is the person most often called ‘the father of the internet’.
so either way, it seems like daddy interwebs likes what al gore did.
new, better jokes please… or stay on topic :)
Andrew Wiles
I second that it should be Andrew Wiles, however he is currently at princeton, and I don’t know this for sure but I guess he would have to move back to Britain to have that position, something that seems unlikely no matter how great of an honour it is.
But I am only speculating.
Stephen Wolfram
Intelligent guy, but a bit full of himself.
Or, I guess I should say, a bit full of yourself.
edward witten
leonard susskind
alan guth
willem de sitter
let me mention a few criteria the candidate will have to match:
* theoretical physicist
* world reputation
* not already passed retirement age (or being close to)
* probably string theorist
* being British would help
Thus my three guesses shall be: Juan Maldacena, Nathan Seiberg, Chris Hull
Marcus Du Sautoy.
If the being British part or age doesn’t matter, then Michio Kaku could probably satisfy the position, but thats just a wild guess I really have no idea
Charlie Eppes or Dr. Larry Fleinhardt ?
How about Paul Erdös?
Heard something about him here:
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/episodes/2009/10/09
About halfway down the page, look for this:
“From Benford to Erdös”
karl mahlburg
And the winner is: Michael B. Green, British, theoretical physicist and string theorist, being over sixty I would consider somewhat close to retirement age.