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Conquering ALS, and the mysteries of the universe

Broadcast Date: Feb. 5, 1984

Stephen Hawking has a mind that can unlock the secrets of black holes and the origins of the universe. He also has a body wracked by Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. As we hear in this clip from CBC Radio's Quirks & Quarks, Hawkings is not letting his difficulties with speech and mobility get in the way of his teaching and research at the University of Cambridge. The clip begins with an examination of the suspected causes and prognosis of ALS. We then hear from Hawking himself, as well as colleagues who have worked with him before and since the onset of the disease.

Conquering ALS, and the mysteries of the universe

• Stephen Hawking was born in Oxford, England, and attended university there. He intended to take mathematics, but since it was not offered at University College he studied physics. Hawking went on to study cosmology at Cambridge, where he has been the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics since 1979 - a position established in 1663 and once headed by Isaac Newton.

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is sometimes called Lou Gehrig's disease after the Yankees firstbaseman who left baseball in 1939 at age 36 because of the disease. He died two years later.

• ALS is a neurodegenerative disease which causes those living with it to become progressively more paralyzed as the brain and spinal cord degenerate. According to the ALS Society of Canada, 85 per cent of people with the disease die within 2-5 years of diagnosis. There is no known cure or effective treatment. The disease affects about 3,000 Canadians.

• On his website, Stephen Hawking says he is frequently asked how he feels about having ALS. "The answer is, not a lot. I try to lead as normal a life as possible, and not think about my condition, or regret the things it prevents me from doing, which are not that many."

Conquering ALS, and the mysteries of the universe

Medium: Radio

Program: Quirks & Quarks

Broadcast Date: Feb. 5, 1984

Guest(s): Stephen Hawking, Roger Penrose, Richard Smith, Nick Warner

Host: Jay Ingram

Duration: 20:49

Last updated:
April 21, 2009