Stephen Hawking at Work at the Science and Industry Museum
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
This fascinating free display at the Science and Industry Museum offers a wonderful insight into the working life and personality of the most famous theoretical physicist of all time.
Curated by Juan-Andres Leon, Stephen Hawking at Work is a truly intriguing exhibition. Drawing upon the contents of Hawking’s office in the Department for Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at Cambridge University, acquired by the Science Museum Group in May 2021, the collection shines a light on Hawking’s life story – as a renowned physicist, science communicator and somebody living with motor neurone disease.
Visitors to the exhibition can explore the extraordinary contents of Hawking’s office. Some of the incredible personal items on show include a rare copy of Hawking’s PhD thesis, his spectacles, which were specially adapted to aid communication, and even an invitation to the time travellers’ party Hawking hosted.
Other highlights in the display include various mementos from his public and celebrity appearances, including a baseball jacket gifted to him by the creators of The Simpsons decorated with well-known characters from the show, and a cast photo from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Housed in the ‘Changing Highlights’ section of the Revolution Manchester gallery, the exhibition also shines a light on Hawking’s links to Manchester – as discoveries by the city’s scientists paved the way in developing two of the most important theories about our universe, quantum theory and general relativity.
In addition to his remarkable scientific work, the exhibition also explores Hawking’s lived experience of motor neurone disease. Despite being given a two-year prognosis when he was diagnosed, Hawking lived for more than five decades. He used a wheelchair from the late 1960s, and then also a voice synthesizer from 1986, following an emergency tracheostomy – both technologies feature in the exhibition.
Stephen Hawking at Work is just one of many attractions at the Science and Industry Museum – take a look at our full guide for even more fun and inspirational things to do.
