[Kyunghyang Forum, "The New Normal Era: Innovation & Insights"] Hawking, "Future Changes in Our Way of Life Due to Great Inventions.. I Am Really Excited"

[경향신문] Dr. Stephen Hawking (74) said that he was truly excited, for innovation will happen on a vast scope that will encompass our entire life.

- A Video of Dr. Stephen Hawking Greeting a Kyunghyang Shinmun Editor in His Home: A video of Dr. Stephen Hawking greeting Kim Min-a, an editorial writer of the Kyunghyang Shinmun, who visited the astrophysicist in his home in London, U.K. prior to his hologram lecture at the Kyunghyang Forum organized to celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the publication of the newspaper at Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul on September 28. Yi Seok-wu

This is what the world's greatest living astrophysicist said about the innovation that future science and technology would bring, appearing as a hologram at the forum celebrating the seventieth anniversary of the publication of the Kyunghyang Shinmun on the topic "The New Normal Era: Innovation & Insights," at the Lotte Hotel Crystal Ballroom in Sogong-dong, Seoul on September 28. Dr. Hawking appeared as a hologram to the left of a large screen on the forum stage. He was dressed in a black suit and leaning to one side as he sat in his wheelchair. Dr. Hawking cannot move due to Lou Gehrig's disease, which slowly degenerates all the muscles in one's body. He is only able to manage small movements in the muscles around his lips, and these movements are captured by a computer that translates his movements into words spoken through a mechanical voice.

Dr. Hawking began his lecture by mentioning how he was welcomed when he had previously visited the country. He mentioned how he had enjoyed his visits in 1990 and 2001 and that he was fond of Korea.

According to Dr. Hawking, we are witnessing an important change in our lives. In the 1960s when he started his research as a scientist, astronomy was a vague science that was not respected, but now we are hearing cheers with the invention of the large hadron accelerator (LHC) and the discovery of the Higgs particle. In other words, astronomy opened the universe before our eyes. In 2013, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) achieved the feat of discovering the Higgs boson in the large hadron accelerator, and scientists were able to make great progress in picturing the image of the universe immediately after the Big Bang.

Hawking continued that the future of the young people would depend on science and technology more than ever before. Among the problems before our eyes, Hawking pointed to global warming, the growing population and the lack of space, the extinction of species, and the development of renewable energy sources as tasks that humanity must undertake. According to his prediction, there will be great inventions that will bring innovation to the way we live, work, eat, communicate, and travel. In other words, innovation can occur in most areas of our lives. He even mentioned that we would be able to collect rare minerals from Mars and discover cures for incurable diseases through science, technology and innovation. In addition, he said that the next generation would find the answers to the questions that currently remain unanswered such as “How did life begin on Earth?,” “What is consciousness?,” and “Are we the only life forms in this universe?”

Dr. Hawking introduced his daughter, Dr. Lucy Hawking and disappeared into space, which was the background for the hologram, after telling the audience that we must not remain engaged in theoretical discussions, but personally get involved.

Dr. Lucy Hawking is the eldest daughter of Dr. Stephen Hawking and also a writer of science novels. Dr. Lucy Hawking explained the importance of science education tailored to the eye level of children, mentioning “George's space series,” children’s fiction she co-authored with her father as an example. This series tells the story of how the children George and Annie go on a space adventure on Cosmos, a super computer. Dr. Lucy Hawking stressed that the series was not science fiction, but stories based on real scientific facts. She further mentioned that the stories showed us how mankind was making amazing discoveries every day and how wonderful the universe was.

She then introduced Breakthrough Starshot, a project which her father Dr. Hawking and Yuri Milner, a Russian entrepreneur are involved in. This project plans a space exploration by sending over a thousand miniature spacecraft, the size of a smartphone to Alpha Centauri, the star system closest to the solar system. She explained that her father, Dr. Hawking planned a new space travel based on Einstein's theory and that they might discover a planet similar to Earth in a new galaxy.

Dr. Lucy Hawking was recognized for her contribution in popularizing science and was awarded the Sapio Prize in 2008.

- Dr. Lucy Hawking\'s Keynote Address: Dr. Lucy Hawking, the daughter of the world\'s greatest astrophysicist Dr. Stephen Hawking, gives a keynote address at the Kyunghyang Forum, held in celebration of the seventieth year of the publication of the Kyunghyang Shinmun at Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul on September 28. Kim Jeong-geun