4/20    "Stephen Hawking hospitalized, reported very ill"
        http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090420/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_hawking
        Hope he doesn't die until he solves the mystery of the universe(s) for
        all of us.
           \_ Update:
              http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30323352
        \_ This has all been taken out of context...he went in to get some
           26s put on his wheel chair and a couple of other mods and the the
           Technician said "It's gonna be ILL!"
        \_ Stephen Hawking is overrated
           \_ Really?  Then who is the forefront guy in the field now?  Thx.
              \_ Hawking isn't really the foremost scientist, but he's one
                 of the best at making the concepts accessible.
                 Filipenko is similar in that way.  -tom
                 \- i think that characterization short changes hawking.
                    picking a "market leader" may depends on your thoughts
                    about string theory.
        \_ Uh, he's been very ill for decades.
                    \_ It's nice we're so willing to spend $$ to support
                       string philosophy, but how about doing some science?
                       \- you can say string theory has affected the job
                          mkt but i dont think this is a reasonable crit ...
                          e.g. LHC is $$$. the waste of $$$ from a science
                          perspective is humans in space. and a lot of public
                          money is spent on medican research, if you consider
                          science beyond fundamental physics.
                          \_ I slam string philosophy because it is producing
                             no testable predictions.  Engineering
                             demonstrations such as trips to space have
                             their uses, and so does medical research, but
                             have any testable hypotheses come out of many
                             years of string philosophy?  Though perhaps
                             I should use the less perjorative term
                             string mathematics, because that is all that
                             can be said to have come of it.  Math is worth
                             pursuing for its own sake, but I think that
                             the physicists need to concentrated on producing
                             some testable hypotheses or look at alternatives.
                             \_ The LHC will test parts of string theory.
                                \_ My PhD physicist friend claims that these
                                   tests don't really distinguish string
                                   theory from other available theories.
                                   \_ wow, you have a PhD physicist friend,
                                      you must know what you're talking
                                      about!
                                      \_ You noticed I said "claims"?
                                         Are you too dim to pick up
                                         that this means I don't
                                         necessarily trust he is right?
                                         However, I do grant him some
                                         credibility.  What credibility
                                         do you have, asshole?
                                         \_ I have *two* PhD physicist
                                            friends!
                 \_ I'd put Filipenko in the same category as Neil DeGrasse:
                    amazingly good at evangelizing science.
                    \- that short changes Filipenko.
        \_ Being a string theorist is a great scam.  Its impossible to
           prove or disprove any of your data in your thought experiments
           while sitting at the cafe in downtown Palo Alto.
           \- while all the B School people are earning their bread for sure.