The late Stephen Hawking may have been one of the greatest minds to have ever lived, but he was also one hell of a celebrity. As well as getting his own movie The Theory of Everything, Hawking made cameos in The Simpsons, The Big Bang Theory, and Star Trek: The Next Generation, with few scientists have managed to master both the worlds of physics and pop culture like Hawking.
Well, fans can now get their hands on their own piece of Hawking memorabilia, thanks to an auction of his most significant possessions next week. Items going under the hammer include his first wheelchair, a copy of his PHD thesis, and the script from his visit to Springfield.
The online auction is being held by Christies, and will include 22 items in total, with the profits going towards the Stephen Hawking Foundation and the Motor Neurone Disease Association. The PHD thesis in particular is expecting to fetch a large sum. Titled ‘Properties of Expanding Universes,’ which Hawking wrote in 1965 while at Cambridge University, is estimated to go for £150,000. While the wheelchair is predicted to sell for between £10,000 and £15,000.
There is also a thumb-printed signed copy of the Brief History Time, which should go for approximately £3000.
The theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and writer died earlier this year at the age of 76. Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a rare form of motor neurone disease in 1963, with doctors expecting him to not live past his 20s. However, he survived for another 50 years, going on to have an iconic career despite his condition.
Speaking of the upcoming auction, titled On The Shoulders of Giants, Hawking’s daughter Lucy said: “We are giving admirers of his work the chance to acquire a memento of our father’s extraordinary life in the shape of a small selection of evocative and fascinating items.”
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