Dara O Briain Meets Stephen Hawking


Dara O Briain Meets Stephen Hawking

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Transcript


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'Sometimes, in my job, you get

the chance to meet a boyhood hero.

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'Now, for some, this could be

a football legend or a rock star.

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'For me, it's someone

quite different -

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'and someone I've been

waiting 25 years to meet.'

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This might be hard to imagine,

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but I was once a

floppy-haired 16-year-old,

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hiding behind his fringe

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and dreaming of unlocking

the secrets of the universe.

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And I nagged my parents

one particular Christmas

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to get me the big science book

that year.

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This is it - the actual

Christmas present from 1988 -

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a copy of Brief History Of Time,

by Professor Stephen Hawking.

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Since that book was published,

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Hawking has become not just

the world's most famous scientist,

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but a full-on pop culture icon.

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Don't like it.

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Far beyond the world of physics,

people know his name

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and possibly even more famously,

his voice.

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What is a black hole?

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In 1963, doctors told him

his motor neurone disease

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would give him two years to live.

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More than 50 years later,

he continues to defy that diagnosis.

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He communicates using

a voice synthesiser

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and the muscles in his face.

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His is the ultimate story of

the triumph of the human spirit.

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So, of course I want to meet

Stephen Hawking, but I also want

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to spend time with the man behind

the bright lights and the equations.

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I want to meet the team of people

that look after Stephen -

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his friends, his colleagues,

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and maybe even the actor

Eddie Redmayne,

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who won an Oscar for portraying him.

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His face is perhaps the most

charismatic face I've ever seen.

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I'll also be meeting his children,

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who rarely talk publicly

about their father.

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I think there's a bit of

the old razzmatazz about him.

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I think he actually secretly

loves show business.

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Who is this man - the genius,

the husband, the father?

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With a story so incredible that

even Hollywood wanted to tell it.

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He is, in many ways, the

most unusual hero and star

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this country has ever produced.

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We're going to meet

Professor Stephen Hawking.

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'I'm meeting Stephen in a

central London hotel today,

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'a very special day.

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'It's the premiere of

the film about his life -

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'The Theory Of Everything.

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'As I arrive at Stephen's hotel

suite, I'm a little nervous -

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'not least because I'm not sure

how easy it is

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'to have a conversation with him.'

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Hello. Hi, how are you?

Hi, nice to meet you.

A pleasure to meet you as well.

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Hi, how are you?

Hi.

Professor

Hawking, it's a pleasure to see you.

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How are you?

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Lovely to see you, by the way.

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'I've only just opened my mouth

and, already, I've misjudged this.

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'Stephen speaks by

spelling out his responses

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'at an average of

one word per minute.

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'So I could be left here

on one knee for some time.

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'Sensing my awkwardness,

Stephen's housekeeper Pat

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'generously provides me

with a chair.'

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Ah, thank you very much.

You're very kind.

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'And while Stephen composes his

answer, it's hard not to babble.'

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It's very difficult not talk

like an idiot in front of you.

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Because you're going, "Oh,

I must fill this gap, I must...

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"I don't know how to be patient

here. I must keep talking".

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And you realise the limits of

your own small talk very quickly.

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I have no small talk.

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Talking is such an effort.

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That's a fair point.

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'Quickly, though, you learn the gear

change from small talk to patience

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'and the conversation can start.'

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By the way, how should I address

you? Professor Hawking, or...?

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How formal would you like me to be?

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The tea lady calls me "Stephen".

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That's good enough.

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So, Stephen it is.

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Do you want to ask your questions?

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Yes, if I could.

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I suppose the first question

would obviously be,

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how does it feel to have

a film made of your life?

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I was rather surprised

that a major film company

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should want to make a film about me.

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At first, I was worried,

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because it was based on

a book by my ex-wife, Jane.

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But I was reassured when

I read the script,

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and even more when I saw

a first cut of the film.

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It was surprisingly honest

about our marriage

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and my fight with ALS,

or motor neurone disease.

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The one regret I have is that

it doesn't contain more physics,

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but I suppose that was inevitable

in a film for a general audience.

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Were you happy to see Eddie

Redmayne's version of you on screen?

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I thought Eddie Redmayne

portrayed me very well.

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He spent time with ALS sufferers

so he could be authentic.

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At times, I thought he was me.

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It is perhaps the closest

I will come to time travel.

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It would be a privilege for us

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to spend some time with you

this evening,

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as you're getting ready

for this event.

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It will be a pleasure.

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Good afternoon. Hello.

I'm Patricia. How do you do?

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How are you? Nice to meet you both.

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'And now, here's something

I wasn't expecting -

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'Stephen has a stylist

to help him get ready

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'for tonight's big occasion.'

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So, you're the...?

I'm William Gilchrist, stylist.

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Stylist, fantastic.

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'William and Stephen's

personal assistant, Jeanna Lee York,

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'have brought his

red carpet outfit.'

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Stephen, if you remember,

we had the double-breasted cardigan.

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'William might be

a professional stylist,

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'but here, he's working to

Stephen's brief.'

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And then, scarf-wise, you had

mentioned about a solid colour.

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So, we have the polka dot...

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The cashmere...

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Keeping it elegant

and keeping it simple.

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The second scarf.

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I like plain.

OK.

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Fabulous, you're all set.

Good stuff.

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'All the preparations made, the team

head out to the movie premiere.

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'An entourage of five people

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'will be looking after Stephen

for the big night tonight.

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'And while he's been getting ready,

so has Leicester Square.

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'The stars of the film

and assorted special quests

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'have gathered for the fans and

for the paparazzi cameras alike.

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'It's the big opportunity

for the film stars

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'Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones

to promote the film.

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'Although frankly, anyone turning up

with a vaguely famous face

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'gets a camera stuck up their nose,

including me.

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'But the real star of the premiere

is just arriving.'

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Ladies and gentlemen,

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the man whose life The Theory

Of Everything is based on.

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Please welcome to Leicester Square,

Professor Stephen Hawking!

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CHEERING

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And so, this is the glitz

and glamour of a Leicester

Square movie premiere.

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Light bulbs going off,

music loudly playing...

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This is about the life story

of a theoretical physicist.

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People don't make movies

about theoretical physicists!

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To solve that riddle, we should

probably get out of here.

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We should maybe go to Cambridge,

meet Stephen Hawking

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and his family where they live,

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see where he works and

find out who he really is.

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MUSIC: Gloria In D Major, RV 589

by Antonio Vivaldi

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'Cambridge is where Stephen

has spent most of his life.

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'Although he began

his studies at Oxford,

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'he came here to do

his graduate work.

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'It's where he made a name for

himself in the academic world.

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'It's also where he wrote his book,

A Brief History Of Time,

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'and where he raised his family.

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'It's where he still lives

with his support team.'

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He's the longest living man ever

with ALS, or motor neurone disease,

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and that requires

a large team around him

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to help him survive, essentially.

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It's an unusual lifestyle

on many, many levels,

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but there's a normal man

at the heart of it

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and that's the man we're going

to see again, here in his home.

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DOORBELL RINGS

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Hey, how are you, pet?

Good to see you.

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Hello, welcome. Nice to see you.

Good to be here.

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Hello.

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'Before my visit today, I sent

Stephen my questions in advance.

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'He needs the time to

prepare his answers,

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'because he has to spell out

each word, letter by letter,

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'using just the muscles

in his face.'

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Stephen, thank you very much

for inviting us into your home.

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I have a number of questions

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that you've been very kind enough

to answer for me.

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My first question for you.

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You were diagnosed with

motor neurone disease

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more than 50 years ago

and you were said, at the time...

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The diagnosis said that

you had two years to live.

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Essentially, the question is,

how are you still here?

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Obviously, I am not a typical case,

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or I would have died

half a century ago.

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I think my survival against the odds

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must have something to do with

my commitment to science.

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I am damned if I am going to die

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before I have unravelled

more about the universe.

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I would have that printed on

badges and T-shirts -

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"I'm damned if I'm going to die

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"before I know how

the universe works."

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Another question about

the condition you have

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and how it's affected your life.

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Are you in pain?

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Motor neurone disease

doesn't cause pain,

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but sometimes I get uncomfortable,

because I can't adjust my position.

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Of the things that this

condition has taken from you,

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what do you miss the most?

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I would like to be able to

swim again.

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To swim again?

That's an interesting one to miss.

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When my children were young,

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I missed not being able to

play with them physically.

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'Stephen gives impressively

honest answers,

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'even to the most direct questions.'

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Stephen, you have said that

you support assisted suicide

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for people with terminal illnesses

and that their family members

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should be able to assist

without fear of prosecution.

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What condition would you have to be

in for you to consider this option?

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To keep someone alive against their

wishes is the ultimate indignity.

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I would consider assisted suicide

only if I were in great pain,

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or felt I had nothing more

to contribute,

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but was just a burden to

those around me.

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And, I suppose, maybe a more

existential question than that -

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are you lonely?

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At times, I get very lonely,

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because people are

afraid to talk to me

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or don't wait for me

to write a response.

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I am shy and tongue-tied at times.

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I find it difficult to talk

to people I don't know.

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'Of course, not all of the

great questions in life

are about physics.'

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We talk about the extraordinary

life that you've had,

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but there is something very normal

about your life as well.

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And by normal, I mean...

messy, like anyone else's life.

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I mean, two marriages,

three children...

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Are there any hopes of discovering

the laws that govern love?

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Or would that take

the fun out of life?

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Women are a mystery to me.

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That is the fun.

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DARA LAUGHS

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As they are to me and

all other geeks, as well.

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'That normal, messy

human life of Stephen's

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'has been compelling enough to be

turned into a Hollywood blockbuster,

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'and Eddie Redmayne

would go on to win an Oscar

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'for his portrayal of Stephen.'

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When stars are born

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and when they die,

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they emit UV radiation.

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So, if we could see the night sky

in the ultraviolet light,

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then almost all the stars

would disappear

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and all that we would see are

these spectacular births and deaths.

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'The second that I was cast,

I started researching him'

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and what I find extraordinary is,

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his face is perhaps the most

charismatic face I've ever seen.

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It's like all of the facilities

that we have of, of gesture,

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of tone of voice, of... All of

those energies are channelled

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into those few muscles

that he's able to use.

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Blink to choose the colour

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of the group of the letter

you want, Stephen.

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Green...

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..blue...

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..pink...

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..red.

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'A huge influence on

Eddie's portrayal

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'was advice he had from

two of Stephen's children.'

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The great inroad to that

was meeting Lucy and Tim,

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and I spent a long time going to

a motor neurone disease clinic

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and really trying to educate

myself on the disease

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and many people who are

suffering from it

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and wanted to be absolutely

authentic to the disease,

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but I was being quite respectful

and then Tim said,

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"Yeah, but we did used to

get into Dad's wheelchair

and use it as a go-kart."

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Or, "We did used to put swear

words into the voice machine

and press 'play'," you know?

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That was just such a revelation

for me, because that was like...

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Of course, it's just a

normal family!

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And, you know, dealing with

pretty extreme circumstances,

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but with humour and with fun and...

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Exactly, wind back the clock.

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Wind back the clock.

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Is that what you're doing?

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'Stephen's first wife Jane is played

in the film by Felicity Jones.'

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Keep winding!

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'She was touched by just how

unusual their life together was.'

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Keep winding...

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I started to see...

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Jane was someone who,

when she met Stephen,

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she never patronised him and I...

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In some ways, I subconsciously

absorbed that and then every time...

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In the preparation of the film,

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I'd find new things and

contradictions in this couple,

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who both lived extraordinary lives.

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There.

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That's better, isn't it?

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Yes.

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Did Stephen flirt with you?

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Oh... I mean, he loves the ladies.

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So, he was watching a scene

we were doing and then he wrote

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and asked if I would give him a

kiss after we'd finished shooting

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and I was like, "Of course, you're

an icon," cos, you know... He's...

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I don't think even an icon

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is allowed to just write

and demand a kiss!

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I know! Only Stephen Hawking

could get away with that.

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But how accurate are these

Hollywood biopics, anyway?

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Only those who lived through it -

Stephen's family -

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can really tell you.

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Stephen and his first wife, Jane,

had three children.

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The eldest, Robert,

here on the left,

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lives in Washington state,

in America.

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But Lucy, with her son, and Tim,

live here in Britain.

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So I'm heading to a school

in London to meet Lucy.

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She's a writer now

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and some of her dad's passions

must have rubbed off on her,

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because she and he have

co-authored together

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a series of children's

science novels.

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STEPHEN HAWKING: 'So many things

are possible, but you have to

imagine them first.

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'Can you imagine a future

that no-one else has known of?'

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'Today, Lucy is trying to get

these primary school kids

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'excited about the

mysteries of the cosmos.'

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And so, we have a mystery spaceship,

in orbit around the earth.

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Sometimes, this spaceship

is invisible

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and no-one knows who it belongs to.

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I am about to complete my

fifth book, written with him,

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which actually makes me

his most prolific co-author.

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No-one else has written

five books with him.

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So, that's my little

record-holding title myself.

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Is he a helpful co-author?

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We're aiming for a kind of

scientific accuracy

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and authenticity,

and that really...

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He plays a very important

role in ensuring that -

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that I'm not allowed to

break the laws of physics

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by going off on some

crazy plot twist, and, yeah...

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So, that's annoying.

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Annoyingly persistent

in his editing comments...

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How has being Stephen Hawking's

daughter affected your life?

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Most people don't find their

childhoods featuring

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in Oscar-winning Hollywood films.

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It just sort of underlines the point

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that, really, there was

nothing normal about that.

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So, it's hard to sum it up.

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I did read something that

an astronaut said about,

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"What's it like to be in space?"

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And I felt a lot of resonance

with his quote. He said,

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"Being in space is a strange

mixture of the really prosaic,

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"like the everyday,

and the deeply extraordinary."

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Being in space, that's kind of

how I feel.

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That's what our lives

with Dad are like.

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They're that strange mix

of incredibly ordinary

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but deeply extraordinary

at the same time.

0:18:150:18:17

How strange is it, watching

the film of all of your lives?

0:18:170:18:21

Er... The first time,

I saw it with my brother.

0:18:210:18:24

It was just the two of us

when we watched it

0:18:240:18:26

and we saw it in a private room

at the film production company

0:18:260:18:30

and I just bawled my heart out.

0:18:300:18:32

It was so astonishing to me,

0:18:320:18:35

to go back in time

in the way that it did

0:18:350:18:38

and to see things that were just...

0:18:380:18:40

I mean, I saw my grandparents,

0:18:400:18:42

who have all died and

there they are on screen.

0:18:420:18:45

I saw the house we used to live in.

0:18:450:18:46

I saw our whole story playing

out in front of my eyes and I was...

0:18:460:18:49

I walked out, just stunned.

0:18:490:18:51

But the bit that really gets me is

actually a bit that, funnily enough,

0:18:510:18:54

other people don't seem to like.

0:18:540:18:57

At the end of the film, my father,

0:18:570:18:59

played by Eddie Redmayne,

is giving a lecture

0:18:590:19:01

and he goes into a sort of

reverie at one point

0:19:010:19:04

and he gets up and walks and

picks up a pen off the floor

0:19:040:19:07

and returns it to the young woman.

0:19:070:19:09

Oh, I can't even...

I'm going to cry now.

0:19:090:19:12

That bit slays me, because

I've never seen my father walk

0:19:120:19:15

and I have this sort of dream

in which I see him walking

0:19:150:19:18

and when I watch that, I just...

0:19:180:19:20

I wanted it to go on for ever.

0:19:200:19:22

I wanted that bit to last for

around 44 and a half years,

0:19:220:19:25

cos it was like seeing our

father as he would have been,

0:19:250:19:28

without motor neurone disease.

0:19:280:19:30

So that was the bit that

really broke my heart.

0:19:300:19:32

Actually, I asked,

"Of the things that your condition

0:19:320:19:35

"has taken from you,

what do you miss the most?"

0:19:350:19:37

And he did say,

"When my children were young,

0:19:370:19:39

"I missed not being able to

play with them physically."

0:19:390:19:42

Mmm... That's sad. That's really

sad.

Yeah. Did you miss that?

0:19:420:19:45

Yeah, I did. And, of course,

I have a lot of friends now

0:19:450:19:48

who have small children, and

especially with my male friends...

0:19:480:19:53

You know, I see them pick up a

small child and it kind of really

0:19:540:19:57

reminds me that that was

something my father couldn't do.

0:19:570:20:01

And that I found quite poignant

and quite painful,

0:20:010:20:03

cos that would have

been really nice.

0:20:030:20:05

'Stephen's children

rarely give interviews,

0:20:100:20:12

'but I particularly wanted

to speak to Tim.

0:20:120:20:15

'At 36, he's Stephen's

youngest child

0:20:150:20:18

'and grew up at a different

stage of his father's illness.

0:20:180:20:22

'Nonetheless, it must

still have been unsettling

0:20:220:20:25

'to watch their story in a film.'

0:20:250:20:27

How weird is it, by the way,

seeing your family life on screen?

0:20:290:20:32

It was a very, you know,

very emotional...

0:20:320:20:34

A lot more emotional for me

than I perhaps thought,

0:20:340:20:38

and I think particularly because,

you know, not ever knowing my dad

0:20:380:20:42

as an able-bodied person, to

actually see him as a young man...

0:20:420:20:46

I think, for me, that was perhaps

0:20:460:20:48

sort of one of the really

lovely things about the film.

0:20:480:20:52

Actually, you grew up with him when

he had already lost his voice.

0:20:520:20:55

Am I right in saying that?

0:20:550:20:56

Well, the thing for me was that,

0:20:560:20:59

for, like, about the first

four or five years of my life,

0:20:590:21:02

my dad was able to...was able to

speak with his natural voice.

0:21:020:21:06

If you are a long way off...

0:21:060:21:10

..you have ways of saying things.

0:21:110:21:14

But it was very, very difficult

to understand what he was saying

0:21:140:21:17

and, obviously, for me,

as a sort of three-year-old,

0:21:170:21:19

I had no understanding of

what he was saying

0:21:190:21:22

and so, I didn't really actually

have any communication with him

0:21:220:21:25

for about the first

five years of my life.

0:21:250:21:27

And then, it was only when

he got the speech synthesiser

0:21:270:21:31

that I was actually able to start

having a conversation with him.

0:21:310:21:34

So it was kind of ironic, in a way,

0:21:340:21:37

that him losing his voice was

actually the start of him and I

0:21:370:21:41

being able to form

a relationship, really.

0:21:410:21:45

He did say that one thing

which had an effect

0:21:450:21:48

is he didn't get the chance to

physically play with his children.

0:21:480:21:51

He said that was a regret.

Did you feel that lack, or...?

0:21:510:21:55

I think he helped wherever

he could, you know?

0:21:550:21:58

We played board games,

and he wasn't the easiest opponent,

0:21:580:22:01

particularly chess.

Surely he let you win?

0:22:010:22:04

Well, no, there's no

compassion there at all.

0:22:040:22:06

He was hugely...

There's

a point in parenting where...

0:22:060:22:09

..hugely competitive.

0:22:090:22:11

Ay-yay-yay...

0:22:110:22:12

Is there any one lesson

you took from your father?

0:22:120:22:16

Well, I think... I remember as a

12-year-old sort of asking him

0:22:160:22:20

a question which I think, at the

time, I thought was a bit silly.

0:22:200:22:23

"Are there lots of other tiny

little universes, dotted around?"

0:22:230:22:27

And then he gave me the answer

and then he said,

0:22:270:22:31

"Don't ever be afraid to come

with an idea or a hypothesis,

0:22:310:22:36

"no matter how daft it may seem.

0:22:360:22:39

"Just have the confidence

to follow it through."

0:22:390:22:41

And I think that's been

a great lesson for me.

0:22:410:22:43

'Another way in which

Stephen Hawking inspires

0:22:490:22:51

'is in his sheer work ethic,

even at 73.

0:22:510:22:55

'Even after 50 years of

motor neurone disease.

0:22:550:22:58

'If he's not working on new science,

0:22:580:23:00

'or attending a conference,

or writing another book,

0:23:000:23:03

'he's got a full schedule of

work and social events to go to.

0:23:030:23:07

'Today, Stephen is at

the Science Museum,

0:23:130:23:15

'where he's hosting a tour

for a competition winner.

0:23:150:23:18

'This constant flurry of activity

couldn't happen

0:23:240:23:28

without the help of his technical

assistant, Jonathan Wood.

0:23:280:23:31

'He's at Stephen's side to

make sure things run smoothly.'

0:23:310:23:35

You are led down the stairs,

down the ramp, to meet Adaeze...

0:23:360:23:42

'I handle all of Stephen's technical

things - like, I prepare his slides,

0:23:420:23:47

'I look after his computer,'

0:23:470:23:50

I book his holidays.

0:23:500:23:52

LAUGHTER

0:23:520:23:54

I look after his car, I...

0:23:540:23:55

You know, anything that,

obviously, Stephen can't do,

0:23:550:23:58

because he's in a wheelchair,

I help him to do.

0:23:580:24:01

It's very obvious... You can tell

that there is communication

0:24:010:24:03

that he can make with you

that I don't see.

0:24:030:24:06

Yeah, I mean, to people

sort of closest to Stephen,

0:24:060:24:09

he's very expressive

with his facial gestures.

0:24:090:24:12

Just if he looks at me, I'll know

whether he wants me to stay away

0:24:120:24:15

or if he wants some attention...

0:24:150:24:17

Cos the chair he's in is,

to a certain extent,

a life support machine.

0:24:170:24:20

Right, he's got a respirator

on the back of his chair

0:24:200:24:22

that regulates his breathing

0:24:220:24:24

and a humidifier that helps

humidify the air going to him.

0:24:240:24:28

And has his computer ever broken,

or has the battery gone flat?

0:24:280:24:31

HE LAUGHS

0:24:310:24:33

Well, yeah. I mean, we run out of...

forget the battery,

0:24:330:24:35

or it hasn't been charged up

overnight

0:24:350:24:37

and we sort of get somewhere...

The problem is that

0:24:370:24:40

the battery powers not just

Stephen's chair,

0:24:400:24:42

but his computer and his speech.

0:24:420:24:43

So we end up being somewhere and

suddenly Stephen'll kind of go,

0:24:430:24:46

"Bzzew," and it's all turned off.

0:24:460:24:49

And you can just run out of power?

Yeah, and run out of power.

0:24:490:24:51

It has happened and we just have to

0:24:510:24:53

push him back to the

nearest power supply.

0:24:530:24:56

Rarely - but on occasions.

0:24:560:24:58

And it's a great honour

for me to welcome

0:24:580:25:01

London's official guest of honour

to the Science Museum,

0:25:010:25:05

the home of human ingenuity.

0:25:050:25:08

'Adaeze Uyanwah is a very lucky

American school teacher.

0:25:080:25:13

'She won a prize to get the

greatest VIP tour of London.'

0:25:130:25:18

This is Apollo 10, which

launched in May 1969

0:25:180:25:24

as a dress rehearsal for

the Apollo 11 moon landing.

0:25:240:25:28

'Getting a personal tour of the

Science Museum from Stephen Hawking

0:25:310:25:34

'might have been a bit

overwhelming for Adaeze,

0:25:340:25:37

'but it's just one of the talks

and personal appearances

0:25:370:25:39

'that Stephen does every year

around the world.

0:25:390:25:42

'But how do you take

Stephen Hawking round the world?

0:25:440:25:47

'One woman who's done just that

0:25:470:25:49

'was his personal assistant for

ten years, Judith Croasdell.'

0:25:490:25:52

Judith, how are you?

Hello. Nice to meet you.

A pleasure.

0:25:520:25:56

'She retired in 2014,

but still lives in Cambridge

0:25:560:26:00

'with her parrot and

the mementos of her travels.'

0:26:000:26:03

I have travelled with him abroad to

some very interesting places.

0:26:040:26:09

I've been to China with him.

0:26:090:26:10

I've been to Hong Kong,

Israel and Chile.

0:26:100:26:14

Perhaps the most extraordinary place

to travel with Stephen

0:26:140:26:18

was Easter Island.

0:26:180:26:20

Easter Island, I don't think

0:26:200:26:22

it had ever had a disabled person

visit it,

0:26:220:26:24

because, you know, it's all gravel

around the moai and all the sites.

0:26:240:26:28

But relentlessly, Stephen

went out and saw all the moai

0:26:280:26:33

and it was wonderful, travelling

somewhere like that with him.

0:26:330:26:37

You know, there wasn't

anywhere that he couldn't go,

0:26:370:26:39

and I stopped thinking about him

as being disabled as well,

0:26:390:26:43

because you think,

"God, he's a lucky fellow!

0:26:430:26:45

"Look at all the amazing places

he's seen."

0:26:450:26:48

And Stephen met Nelson Mandela.

0:26:480:26:49

I remember asking Stephen

about this afterwards.

0:26:510:26:54

"So, what was it like, Stephen?"

0:26:540:26:56

So he said, "Well, at first

I thought he was gaga.

0:26:560:26:58

"He was just staring at me."

0:26:580:27:00

And I said, "Well, it didn't occur

to you that he may have thought,

0:27:000:27:02

"'What on earth is this? How am

I supposed to talk to this man?'"

0:27:020:27:05

So I said I'm sure it was... They

probably both looked at each other

0:27:050:27:09

as if they were from another planet!

0:27:090:27:12

And then, there was a lot of

bleeping and squeaking and stuff

0:27:120:27:16

and then suddenly

this voice booms out,

0:27:160:27:19

how nice it was to meet

the great Nelson Mandela and...

0:27:190:27:23

I imagine, you know,

"Oh, he does speak!"

0:27:240:27:26

Myself and Stephen share

one achievement in common -

0:27:280:27:30

we've both done the Zero G Flight.

0:27:300:27:32

Oh, you've done it?

I did it as well, actually, yes.

0:27:320:27:35

When Stephen went up,

he did eight fantastic parabolas

0:27:350:27:38

and he adored it.

0:27:380:27:40

It was the most wonderful thing.

0:27:400:27:42

I mean, just being up in the air,

free of his wheelchair -

0:27:420:27:46

he'll never get over it.

0:27:460:27:48

'It was amazing.

I could have gone on and on.'

0:27:480:27:51

Does he take on too much?

0:27:530:27:55

Yes.

0:27:560:27:57

He does on occasions -

and when that happens,

0:27:570:28:01

usually, his body gives up, not him.

0:28:010:28:04

He's ferociously...

0:28:040:28:06

But then, when he gets an

infection or something,

0:28:060:28:09

that's it - he has to stop.

0:28:090:28:11

Dragged into hospital,

bored to death,

0:28:110:28:14

and I always remember

his colleagues -

0:28:140:28:17

grey-haired, venerable professors,

0:28:170:28:19

saying things like, "Well, he'll

cheer up if we go and see him.

0:28:190:28:23

"We'll just burble science over him

and he'll just breathe that in

0:28:230:28:28

"and that's how he'll get better,"

and they were quite right, actually.

0:28:280:28:31

They knew him very well.

Oh, right?

0:28:310:28:33

And that's exactly what Stephen

enjoyed most of all, I think.

0:28:330:28:36

'So, it's science that

keeps Stephen chipper,

0:28:380:28:41

'and like Einstein before him,

he uses pure mathematics and

0:28:410:28:44

'theoretical physics to come up with

his theories about the universe.

0:28:440:28:48

'As a student, I studied

both of these subjects,

0:28:490:28:52

'so I'm very excited, because he's

invited me over to talk about them.'

0:28:520:28:56

Now, I'm not going to turn down

the opportunity to talk science

0:28:590:29:02

with one of the greatest minds

of our generation,

0:29:020:29:04

so I've come to Stephen's office

here in Cambridge University.

0:29:040:29:07

Not the Cambridge University

you're probably used to seeing

0:29:070:29:10

from all the films, or, indeed,

The Theory of Everything -

0:29:100:29:12

not the one with all

the stone cloisters.

0:29:120:29:14

This is the ultra-modern

Centre for Mathematical Sciences.

0:29:140:29:17

Of course, they haven't ditched

their history entirely.

0:29:170:29:19

One of the buildings is named after

an old boy from here, Isaac Newton.

0:29:190:29:23

MUSIC: Closing

by Philip Glass

0:29:250:29:28

'Stephen has worked in

this office for 15 years,

0:29:350:29:38

'and decorating the walls are

pictures and mementoes of his heroes

0:29:380:29:42

'and the people he's met,

0:29:420:29:44

'like Barack Obama,

Steven Spielberg,

0:29:440:29:47

'the theoretical physicist

Richard Feynman,

0:29:470:29:49

'and, of course, Albert Einstein.

0:29:490:29:51

'But what I'm excited by is

what's on Stephen's blackboard.'

0:29:540:29:57

This is, in a nutshell,

0:30:000:30:02

one shot of why it's such a pleasure

to spend time with Stephen Hawking.

0:30:020:30:06

On the one hand, you have stills of

his appearances in The Simpsons...

0:30:060:30:11

..and you have, just below it,

0:30:130:30:16

Hawking radiation,

which he discovered.

0:30:160:30:19

'Stephen's revolutionary

breakthrough was discovering

0:30:190:30:21

'that despite their massive gravity,

0:30:210:30:23

'black holes send out radiation

until there's nothing left.

0:30:230:30:27

'One person with an insight into

how Stephen's unique mind

0:30:280:30:31

'comes up with these ideas is his

friend and colleague, Kip Thorne.

0:30:310:30:35

'Kip has worked with Stephen

since the early '70s.'

0:30:350:30:39

Although he could no longer draw

diagrams on the blackboard,

0:30:390:30:43

he learned to create shapes,

0:30:430:30:47

geometries, typologies in his head.

0:30:470:30:52

Some of his greatest

breakthroughs in science -

0:30:520:30:55

his discovery of Hawking radiation,

for example -

0:30:550:30:58

that black holes can only grow,

they can't shrink.

0:30:580:31:01

They came from manipulating

shapes in his head

0:31:010:31:04

in ways that I can't do

and nobody else can do.

0:31:040:31:08

He has shown to his colleagues

and to the world

0:31:080:31:13

that physical impairment

does not have to prevent one

0:31:130:31:17

from living life to the full

0:31:170:31:20

and having a huge intellectual

impact on the world.

0:31:200:31:24

He is an inspiration

to his colleagues.

0:31:240:31:27

He is an inspiration to the general

public, for what he has achieved.

0:31:270:31:31

He's an inspiration to me,

particularly, for his stubbornness.

0:31:310:31:35

He's the most stubborn man I've ever

met, by a very large margin.

0:31:350:31:40

And that's a large part of

what makes him succeed,

0:31:400:31:43

and I try to emulate him.

0:31:430:31:45

You simply don't give up -

and if you don't give up

0:31:450:31:48

and you work hard enough,

0:31:480:31:50

you have a good chance of

having some real big impact.

0:31:500:31:53

'And there's no sign

of him giving up.

0:31:580:32:00

'Even at 73, Stephen is still

working on new theories of physics.

0:32:000:32:05

'He's collaborating today with

one of his former students,

0:32:050:32:08

'fellow physicist

Professor Thomas Hertog,

0:32:080:32:10

'who has flown over from Belgium

especially to work with him.'

0:32:100:32:14

He can think, right?

He can think very hard.

0:32:160:32:18

He can think very well.

0:32:180:32:20

He has a very clear

scientific vision.

0:32:200:32:22

So he feels cosmology is

a mission he can fulfil,

0:32:220:32:26

despite his disability,

and therefore,

0:32:260:32:29

that's what makes life worthwhile.

0:32:290:32:32

It is usually thought the exi

surface is very irregular,

0:32:320:32:36

but we think the amplitude...

0:32:360:32:38

What makes him remarkable

as a scientist

0:32:380:32:40

is the clarity of his vision.

0:32:400:32:42

He has an ability to see

through all the clutter

0:32:420:32:46

and to focus on the core problems

0:32:460:32:50

and also, to abandon old ideas

0:32:500:32:53

which stand in the way of

further progress.

0:32:530:32:55

'And even in the rarefied atmosphere

of the Cambridge maths department,

0:32:590:33:03

'most of the best work is

done in the canteen.

0:33:030:33:05

'And now, I'm excited, because

when I studied theoretical physics,

0:33:080:33:11

'neither I nor any of my professors

0:33:110:33:14

'ever thought I'd be sitting down

and talking physics

0:33:140:33:16

'with one of the greatest scientific

minds on the planet.'

0:33:160:33:19

In physics at the moment,

there are these two huge theories.

0:33:200:33:24

We have Einstein's

theory of relativity,

0:33:240:33:26

which talks about the very

big planets and galaxies

0:33:260:33:29

and gravity and how gravity

affects them,

0:33:290:33:31

and then we've got

quantum mechanics,

0:33:310:33:33

which deals with the very small

and the tiny subatomic particles

0:33:330:33:36

and the forces that work for them.

0:33:360:33:38

The Holy Grail

for some time has been,

0:33:380:33:41

"How can we draw

these two together?"

0:33:410:33:43

It's what people refer to as

"the theory of everything".

0:33:430:33:46

Do you think we'll

ever achieve that?

0:33:460:33:48

I think we will eventually

discover a unified theory,

0:33:480:33:52

though it may well take longer than

the 20 years I predicted,

0:33:520:33:56

45 years ago.

0:33:560:33:58

Your work is at the very edge

of what is theoretical

0:33:590:34:02

and what we're imagining.

0:34:020:34:04

Does it disappoint you

that we might not have

0:34:040:34:06

an experimental proof of your work

in your lifetime?

0:34:060:34:09

I am resigned to the fact

that I won't see

0:34:090:34:13

proof of Hawking radiation directly.

0:34:130:34:16

I am now studying whether one might

detect Hawking radiation

0:34:160:34:20

in primordial gravitational waves.

0:34:200:34:23

So I might get a Nobel prize,

after all.

0:34:240:34:28

That's... That's great. That is

a direct pitch to win a Nobel prize.

0:34:280:34:32

I like the chutzpah of it.

I like the nerve.

0:34:320:34:35

One final question.

0:34:350:34:37

In 1992, you postulated the -

0:34:370:34:39

let me get the name of

this correct -

0:34:390:34:41

the chronology

protection conjecture,

0:34:410:34:44

which basically states that

we can't travel backwards in time.

0:34:440:34:48

Thus, destroying the

Terminator movies.

0:34:480:34:51

So, thanks for that.

0:34:510:34:53

But, even allowing you that...

0:34:530:34:56

..do you think there's any -

and if you'll excuse the pun -

0:34:580:35:00

future for time travel?

0:35:000:35:02

Will we be able to use black holes,

for example, to travel through time?

0:35:020:35:06

If you jump in a black hole,

you will meet an unpleasant fate.

0:35:060:35:10

It will be little consolation

0:35:110:35:14

that your mass energy will be

recycled as Hawking radiation.

0:35:140:35:19

That's tough news for a

lot of dreamers, that one,

0:35:190:35:21

but they have to hear it.

0:35:210:35:23

This is something I had to

bring along today, Stephen.

0:35:230:35:26

This is my copy of

A Brief History of Time,

0:35:260:35:29

which was a Christmas present I got,

cos I requested it when I was 16.

0:35:290:35:34

This is an enormously

important item in my life,

0:35:340:35:38

cos it's managed to go through

every house move I've made

0:35:380:35:42

to the age of 43, this book.

0:35:420:35:45

Is it possible to get you

to sign this?

0:35:450:35:48

Yes.

0:35:480:35:49

'Stephen signs books by leaving

a thumb print on them,

0:35:510:35:55

'which means that I am now a

very proud little science nerd.'

0:35:550:35:58

What I'd love to do, obviously,

is show it to 16-year-old Dara.

0:36:020:36:05

I think it would actually

mean a lot to him,

0:36:050:36:07

to see this book signed

by one of his heroes.

0:36:070:36:11

But unfortunately, I can't,

because thanks to him,

0:36:110:36:13

I can't go back in time.

0:36:130:36:15

That's one of your great theories.

So, I'm stuck here.

0:36:150:36:17

He'll never know. He'll never know,

16-year-old Dara,

0:36:170:36:19

that this happened, thanks to

your chronology conjecture.

0:36:190:36:22

Lovely. Thanks.

Thanks, Stephen. Thanks.

0:36:220:36:24

'This science icon, one of the

most unlikely of celebrities,

0:36:260:36:29

'is in demand all over the world

0:36:290:36:31

'and he relishes the attention.'

0:36:310:36:33

Please give an astronomical

welcome to Felicity Jones

0:36:350:36:38

and Professor Stephen Hawking!

0:36:380:36:40

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

0:36:400:36:43

He enjoys a round of applause,

0:36:440:36:46

particularly if it's

directed at him,

0:36:460:36:48

and the opportunity to express

his sense of humour.

0:36:480:36:51

I am particularly pleased to be

presenting this award

0:36:510:36:55

with the only person on the planet

0:36:550:36:58

more intelligent than Stephen Fry.

0:36:580:37:00

LAUGHTER

0:37:000:37:02

Yes - and better looking.

0:37:030:37:06

LAUGHTER

0:37:060:37:08

APPLAUSE

0:37:080:37:10

And that mischievous sense of humour

is about to be put to use again -

0:37:110:37:15

and all for a good cause.

0:37:150:37:16

We're here in Cambridge again,

but not for academic purposes.

0:37:250:37:28

He knows his own iconography,

0:37:280:37:30

but he's very happy to have that

used for comic effect.

0:37:300:37:33

In the last year,

he's done Monty Python,

0:37:330:37:35

he's done The Simpsons previously.

0:37:350:37:37

We're here today where

they're filming for Comic Relief,

0:37:370:37:40

for a sketch that appeared on

the last Red Nose Day.

0:37:400:37:43

Cos he knows there's something

inherently funny about this,

0:37:430:37:46

and his impish sense of humour

comes through.

0:37:460:37:48

'David Walliams is resurrecting his

character Andy from Little Britain

0:37:530:37:56

'and Catherine Tate is

playing an Irish nun.'

0:37:560:37:59

Astounding, to think the Lord

created all this in just seven days.

0:38:010:38:07

Incorrect.

0:38:070:38:09

It took 13.8 billion years.

0:38:090:38:11

Well, let's not get bogged

down in all that again.

0:38:110:38:14

The universe was

created by a big bang.

0:38:140:38:17

I don't think so!

0:38:170:38:19

And after an initial expansion,

the universe cooled.

0:38:190:38:22

He can go on like this all day.

0:38:220:38:24

DIRECTOR: Cut, thank you.

0:38:240:38:25

'Stephen has the starring role

0:38:260:38:28

'in one of this year's headline

sketches for Comic Relief.

0:38:280:38:31

'It's such a big deal, in fact, that

even the co-founder of Comic Relief,

0:38:320:38:36

'Richard Curtis, has come along.'

0:38:360:38:38

We hope that we're making

a hilarious, very funny,

0:38:400:38:42

brilliant sketch, but I think

what it will mean is

0:38:420:38:46

that if two million extra people

watch the show, well, that really

0:38:460:38:50

will mean that something like four

million extra pounds will get made.

0:38:500:38:55

And if you're very good, Stevie,

0:38:550:38:57

you can watch Peppa Pig.

0:38:570:39:00

Don't like it.

0:39:000:39:01

I thought you loved Peppa Pig.

0:39:010:39:03

You always said it was

0:39:030:39:05

an astute critique of contemporary

family life in porcine form.

0:39:050:39:10

Yeah, I know.

Well, then

we'll watch Peppa Pig, then.

0:39:100:39:14

Hiss off.

0:39:140:39:17

What do you mean, "Hiss off"?

0:39:170:39:18

Ducking autocorrect.

0:39:180:39:20

Any more bad language

like that, Stevie,

0:39:200:39:23

and I'll wash your computer out

with soap and water.

0:39:230:39:27

Thank you. Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut.

0:39:270:39:29

For both of you, the first

time you've worked with

Professor Stephen Hawking?

0:39:290:39:32

Certainly is.

Yeah.

How have you found it?

0:39:320:39:34

He's very warm,

he's been really funny,

0:39:340:39:37

and very engaged with it all

and very happy to be here.

0:39:370:39:40

Yeah. And he's got an

amazing presence

0:39:400:39:42

and a very beautiful quality.

It's a very special thing...

0:39:420:39:45

Yeah, he's got a real twinkle,

actually.

Yeah, he has, yeah.

0:39:450:39:47

Plus, you can now join the list

which, er...

0:39:470:39:49

The Simpsons, Monty Python,

John Oliver.

0:39:490:39:51

He does a lot of comedy.

He does lots of comedy.

0:39:510:39:53

Yeah. Well, I think

he genuinely loves it.

0:39:530:39:56

I think this is the one he was

waiting to tick off the list,

wasn't it, to be fair?

0:39:560:39:59

Yeah, I mean, you start with

The Simpsons, you build up...

Until you get asked.

0:39:590:40:03

LAUGHTER

0:40:030:40:05

After two hours of filming

in bitterly cold winter weather,

0:40:070:40:10

Stephen's scenes are complete.

0:40:100:40:13

Hey... Thank you so much, Professor.

0:40:130:40:16

It's just been magical

working with you.

0:40:160:40:18

As Stephen ages, though,

his motor neurone disease

0:40:200:40:24

continues to take more

muscle movement from him.

0:40:240:40:27

His greatest fear is that he loses

the ability to control his computer.

0:40:270:40:31

If that happens, he won't

be able to speak and then

0:40:310:40:34

he wouldn't be able to do the things

that are so important to him.

0:40:340:40:37

So, his technical assistant

Jonathan and computer specialists

0:40:390:40:43

are trying to come up with

0:40:430:40:45

even more ingenious ways of

keeping him communicating.

0:40:450:40:48

Right now, the blink sensor is only

able to detect this one movement.

0:40:480:40:53

So what we're trying to do here

is use a camera to detect

0:40:530:40:56

the different gestures

that he makes with his face.

0:40:560:41:00

We know he can make

three different gestures,

0:41:000:41:02

so what we're really hoping

to do with this

0:41:020:41:05

is be able to reliably detect

these three gestures and then

0:41:050:41:08

we're able to really improve his

interface and make it much faster.

0:41:080:41:12

'If all goes to plan,

0:41:150:41:16

'we'll continue to hear Stephen's

voice for many years to come.

0:41:160:41:19

'The end of my time with Stephen

is drawing near.

0:41:230:41:26

'After all the rushing about,

0:41:260:41:27

'it's quite nice just to

relax in his kitchen,

0:41:270:41:30

'reading the newspapers with him.'

0:41:300:41:32

You have, as far as I believe,

done submarines, Zero G...

0:41:320:41:36

'Stephen has dedicated

his life to science

0:41:370:41:40

'and he's very proud of

his achievements.

0:41:400:41:42

'Before I leave Cambridge, he wants

to show off about one of them.'

0:41:420:41:47

Over here is my

Fundamental Physics prize,

0:41:470:41:50

which I won in 2013.

0:41:500:41:53

More valuable than the Nobel prize.

0:41:530:41:56

DARA LAUGHS

0:41:560:41:57

'Yes, the Fundamental Physics prize

0:41:580:42:00

'is one of the biggest

awards in science,

0:42:000:42:02

'bringing Stephen yet more

acclaim for his life's work -

0:42:020:42:06

'and the small matter of

$3,000,000 of prize money.

0:42:060:42:09

'But there's no end to his ambition.

0:42:120:42:14

'Now, he wants to conquer my world.'

0:42:140:42:16

Dara, I have a joke for you.

0:42:170:42:20

A photon checks into a hotel.

0:42:200:42:22

The receptionist asks,

"Can I help with your luggage?"

0:42:240:42:27

The photon replies,

"No, it's OK, I am travelling light."

0:42:290:42:34

DARA CHEERS

0:42:340:42:36

That's a top-quality nerd joke!

0:42:360:42:38

Thank you very, very much.

That is... That's excellent.

0:42:380:42:41

Thank you very much.

0:42:410:42:43

What is a black hole?

0:42:430:42:46

I don't know. What is a black hole?

0:42:460:42:48

Something you get in a black sock.

0:42:480:42:51

LAUGHTER

0:42:510:42:53

Is that patented? Can I take that,

you know? OK. 20/80 split.

0:42:550:42:59

20/80 split for that joke.

0:42:590:43:02

80/20...done.

0:43:020:43:05

I got A Brief History Of Time as

a Christmas present when I was 16,

0:43:290:43:33

and when you're 16, you choose your

heroes based on triumph or disaster

0:43:330:43:38

and you don't want to meet them, in

case their humanity diminishes it.

0:43:380:43:41

Then you get a little older

and you do meet your heroes

0:43:410:43:44

and you realise that what makes

them great is that humanity.

0:43:440:43:47

It's meeting Stephen Hawking

and seeing him as impish and geeky

0:43:470:43:51

and flirty or curious,

or stubborn or warm.

0:43:510:43:55

Just an ordinary dad and grandad

0:43:550:43:57

who happens to have triumph

and disaster in his life

0:43:570:44:00

and to have risen above it.

0:44:000:44:02

And the greatest achievement he has

is his humanity and his normality,

0:44:020:44:05

and that makes him

even more of a hero.

0:44:050:44:07

That is a wrap.

0:44:090:44:11

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