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Stephen Hawking displays great comic timing with John Oliver
If the key to comedy is in the timing, then you'd think a man without the ability to speak would be at a severe disadvantage. But as Stephen Hawking demonstrated on "Last Week Tonight" on Sunday, he has a higher understanding of time and timing than most humans. Hawking, the much-honored theoretical physicist, is almost completely paralyzed due to the effects of a motor neuron disease related to ALS. The 72-year-old travels in a wheelchair and can only communicate through a computer device the generates speech for him with minimal inflection. Not exactly someone who you'd think would be able to handle sarcasm, banter and teasing well. But you'd be completely...
Related "University of Cambridge" Articles
Stephen Hawking displays great comic timing with John Oliver
If the key to comedy is in the timing, then you'd think a man without the ability to speak would be at a severe disadvantage. But as Stephen Hawking demonstrated on "Last Week Tonight" on Sunday, he has a higher understanding of time and timing than...
'Jesus' Wife' papyrus a forgery? You're a sexist!
As evidence has mounted that "The Gospel of Jesus' Wife" — that tiny papyrus fragment that has Jesus saying, "My wife ... " — may well be a...
Meet Mary Anning, 'greatest fossil hunter' honored with Google doodle
Today’s Google doodle celebrates the 215th birthday of Mary Anning, a 19th century fossil collector and paleontologist who, even as a poor working-class woman in a field dominated by wealthy upper-class men, helped shape the study of ancient...
'Creating Global Opportunities' recounts rise of shipping firm Maersk
A humble metal box measuring just 20 feet or 40 feet by 8 feet, the shipping container has changed the world. It helped usher in globalization, deliver bananas that taste fresh despite being picked weeks before, and provide the ability for...
Passings: Hamish Maxwell; Kenneth Bunting
Hamish Maxwell Philip Morris Cos. CEO Hamish Maxwell, 87, who steered Philip Morris Cos. in its purchase of General Foods Corp. and takeover of Kraft Inc., milestones in transforming the tobacco company...
China's Tibet conundrum: how to conquer a myth
Beijing has no shortage of issues to confront. There's the South China Sea, uncontrollable corruption, a slowing economy and factional disputes within the party and military. But Chinese officials also face one of the most difficult challenges in...
Jordan's fragile stability, and the risk it poses for the U.S.
AMMAN, Jordan — Jordan recently became one of the 10 nonpermanent members of the United Nations Security Council, a position that will put the international spotlight on the Hashemite kingdom. Its Israeli and Palestinian neighbors continue to...
Simon Schama takes on a big topic: the history of the Jews
When telling a tale that includes centuries of endurance, moments of triumph, bursts of humor and sudden, unspeakable atrocities, what's the right tone with which to articulate it all? That's the trick historian Simon Schama had to figure out...
Therapy helped kids overcome peanut allergy, but don't try it at home
Gradual exposure to peanut protein powder over six months helped more than half of kids with peanut allergies learn to tolerate the equivalent of about 10 peanuts per day, according to the results of a new clinical trial. The Phase 2 trial also...
A family's 70-year quest to regain treasures stolen by Nazis
Since 1946, the San Diego Museum of Art has owned an appealing vision of happy prosperity: Frans Hals' 1630s painting of a plump, rosy-cheeked Dutch merchant whose expression and body language exude confidence, security and bonhomie. In the...
Scientists turn to crowdfunding to support research
UC San Diego graduate student Alex Piel is studying the family dynamics and habitats of chimpanzees in Tanzania's savanna. The research requires tracking animals, retrieving fecal samples and then testing to confirm genetic links. It does not...
Anthony Caro dies at 89; sculptor devised 'new language' for medium
British sculptor Anthony Caro, whose industrial yet playful metal creations helped abstract sculpture gain global acclaim, has died. He was 89. A statement released Thursday in London on behalf of the artist's family said Caro died after...
Ray Dolby dies at 80; engineer's sound system eliminated underlying noise
Before an audio revolution in the mid-1960s, just about all music, dialogue and other sounds played on tape recordings had one thing in common: hiss. The bothersome, underlying noise seemed especially unavoidable during quiet passages on the...
Anne Barton dies at 80; Shakespearean scholar took holistic approach
Anne Barton, one of the 20th century's foremost Shakespeare scholars, died Monday in Cambridge, England. She was 80. Cambridge University, where she was an emeritus professor of English and fellow of Trinity College, announced her death but gave no...
Frederick Sanger dies at 95; biochemist revolutionized DNA sequencing
DNA and proteins are arguably the most important components of the cells of living creatures. Both are produced by stringing together long chains of individual molecules — amino acids in the case of proteins and nucleotides in DNA. ...
Frederick Sanger dies at 95; 'father of the genomic era' won 2 Nobels
British biochemist Frederick Sanger, who twice won the Nobel Prize in chemistry and was a pioneer of genome sequencing, has died in Britain. He was 95. His death was confirmed Wednesday by the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge,...
Engaging with North Korea
Pyongyang, North Korea — I became British ambassador to North Korea a year ago, and since then I have seen firsthand the nature of the regime. Its human rights record is appalling; it continues to develop its nuclear and ballistic missile...
Will the Arab Spring still blossom in Tunisia?
Three years ago Tuesday, the Arab Spring began when 26-year-old vegetable vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in suicidal protest against the political repression and limited economic opportunity offered in dictator Zine el Abidine ben Ali's...
Solitary living, infanticide linked to origin of monogamy in mammals
It’s one of the most vexing questions in modern science: Why are some species monogamous? Two research teams using similar research methods came up with different answers in a pair of studies published Monday.
Brains of women with autism show masculine traits
Do women who are on the autism spectrum have brains that are more “masculine”? A team of researchers at Cambridge University's Autism Research Center has found striking similarities...
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