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posted by Fnord666 on Sunday November 04 2018, @09:35AM   Printer-friendly
from the memorabilia dept.

Submitted via IRC for chromas

Stephen Hawking's thesis, wheelchair heading for auction

LONDON (Reuters) - From a copy of his PhD thesis to his wheelchair, items belonging to Stephen Hawking are headed for auction, offering fans of the late British physicist famed for his work exploring the origins of the universe a chance to buy some of his possessions.

Known for his acclaimed research on black holes, the wheelchair-bound Hawking, who suffered from motor neurone disease and used an electronic voice synthesizer, died in March at the age of 76.

“On the Shoulders of Giants”, which also features documents penned by Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein, will feature 22 lots from Hawking’s estate, including one of five known copies of his PhD thesis, “Properties of expanding universes”, estimated at 100,000-150,000 pounds ($127,480 - $191,220).

“Stephen Hawking was a huge personality worldwide. He had this amazing ability to connect with people,” Thomas Venning, head of the Books and Manuscripts department at auction house Christie’s London, told Reuters.

“The whole idea...was to provide something that was accessible to his admirers so that people could connect with him and remember his extraordinary story.”

Also at The Guardian, The Register


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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Sunday November 04 2018, @12:22PM (1 child)

    by Rosco P. Coltrane (4757) on Sunday November 04 2018, @12:22PM (#757581)

    Collecting stuff from famous dead people has nothing to do with "connecting" with said dead people, and everything to do with investing in paraphernalia that will turn a profit later on. That's what rich fucks buy atrocious pieces of art from the likes of Jackson Pollock: it's ugly, but it's an investment. Conversely, that's why I didn't get more than $250 for my late grandmother's wheelchair: the wheelchair was as nicely equipped as Stephen Hawking's, but she was a complete nobody.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 04 2018, @05:41PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 04 2018, @05:41PM (#757678)

    I must be the only one thinking. Put a wax figure in it drop it in some museum and call it a day?