World-famous astrophysicist Stephen Hawking took to Facebook yesterday (Nov. 18) to share his views about a new film based on his life.
Hawking, who joined the social networking site last month, praised "The Theory of Everything," a biopic about his life with his first wife Jane and his struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease). The film was released in the United States on Nov. 7.
Hawking praised the performance of actor Eddie Redmayne, who plays Hawking in the film, writing, "At times, I thought he was me." [Creative Genius: The World's Greatest Minds]
The famed physicist, known for his work on black holes and gravitational singularities, added that seeing the film gave him the opportunity to reflect on his life.
"Although I'm severely disabled, I have been successful in my scientific work," Hawking wrote. "I travel widely and have been to Antarctica and Easter Island, down in a submarine and up on a zero-gravity flight. One day, I hope to go into space."
Hawking went on to pay a touching tribute to the most cherished people in his life.
"I've been privileged to gain some understanding of the way the universe operates through my work," he wrote. "But it would be an empty universe indeed without the people that I love."
Hawking also commented on the new film "Interstellar" in a separate post. "Interstellar" is the brainchild of his friend and fellow physicist Kip Thorne, of Caltech, and film producer Lynda Obst. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the film features wormholes and a scientifically realistic depiction of a black hole. Hawking and Thorne attended the U.K. premiere of the film on Oct. 29, according to Hawking's post. The film was released in the U.S. on Nov. 5.
Hawking's Facebook page is maintained with help from his team, and posts from Hawking himself are signed as "SH," according to the site.
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