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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

Due to popular demand, Cambridge University has made Stephen Hawking's PhD thesis freely available online [bbc.com]:

Demand for Stephen Hawking's PhD thesis intermittently crashed part of Cambridge University's website as physics fans flocked to read his work. Prof Hawking's 1966 thesis "Properties of expanding universes" was made freely available for the first time on the publications section of university's website at 00:01 BST. More than 60,000 have so far accessed his work as a 24-year-old postgraduate.

Prof Hawking said by making it available he hoped to "inspire people". He added: "Anyone, anywhere in the world should have free, unhindered access to not just my research, but to the research of every great and enquiring mind across the spectrum of human understanding. "It's wonderful to hear how many people have already shown an interest in downloading my thesis - hopefully they won't be disappointed now that they finally have access to it!"

[...] Since May 2016, 199 requests were made for the PhD - most of which are believed to be from the general public rather than academics. The next most requested publication was asked for just 13 times. Previously, to read Hawking's PhD in full, people had to pay £65 to the university library to scan a copy or physically go to the library to read it.

Here it is [cam.ac.uk] (not responding as I try to load it).

Also at Varsity [varsity.co.uk].

Original Submission