The British government has said that the works of British scientist Stephen Hawking – from early articles on theoretical physics to “The Simpsons” scripts – and objects such as his custom wheelchairs will be preserved.
Hawking, who received international recognition for his work on black holes, died in March 2018 at the age of 76, after spending his life on the origin of the universe.
He has suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) since the age of 21, which has left him confined to a wheelchair for most of his life and forced to use an electronic voice synthesizer.
Under an agreement announced on Wednesday (26), his extensive scientific and personal essays will go to the Cambridge University Library where he lived, while the entire contents of his office will be sent to the Science Museum Committee.
“It is very important to him in his life that science be as open to as many people as possible, democratized and not protected by a few elites,” said Hawking’s son Tim.
“So I hope this work helps, and I hope it inspires the next generation.”
Hawking gained international fame after the publication of “A Brief History of Time” in 1988, one of the most complex books of all time to achieve mass appeal.
But he also gained popular recognition, appearing as himself in the TV series “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, while appearing in his caricature “The Simpsons”.
