Geekery

Geek God – Stephen Hawking

Posted on 27. Nov, 2009 by Jake.

Many Geek icons refute the notion that, as a man, you need to be big and athletic to succeed in life. But no one symbolises the triumph of brains over brawn as much as UK theoretical physicist Steven Hawking. Despite having neuro muscular dystrophy that has rendered him completely paralysed, Hawking is one of the most celebrated scientists living today.

In 1988 his book A Brief History of Time became a best seller, a turn of events that surprised even Hawking himself. Other than the book, though, the man’s achievements are hard to explain in layman’s terms. Hawking’s early work involved the proving of singularity theorems, which provide a set of sufficient conditions for the existence of singularity in space-time. He went on to develop important theories regarding The Big Bang and black holes. His studies have since focussed on a bewildering array of physics phenomenon including “quantum cosmology, cosmic inflation, helium production in anisotropic Big Bang universes, large N cosmology, the density matrix of the universe, topology and structure of the universe, baby universes, Yang-Mills instantons and the S matrix gravitational radiation and wormholes” to name a few. You know, the usual. Notably, in the last few decades he has also been one of the most outspoken voices in creating awareness of environmental issues.

Hawking’s trophy cabinet is a particularly impressive one – he has been heaped with accolades since 1975, when he won the Eddington Medal, his latest being the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the US’s highest civilian honour, awarded to him by Barack Obama this year. He has had statues built in his likeness (including one at Cape Town’s African Institute for Mathematical Sciences) and institutes named after him.

He has also kept himself in the popular culture limelight, appearing as himself on The Simpsons and Futurama, being portrayed in a few episodes of Family Guy (they recreated his voice using a Macintosh voice synthesiser) and even becoming something of a pop star – his actual voice has been featured on the Pink Floyd track ‘Keep Talking’, and he has been fictionalised as rapper MC Hawking.

And perhaps the most impressive bit is that Hawking has a sense of humour, not an easy thing to retain when fate has rendered you completely immobile. When asked what came before the Big Bang, he replied that it is a silly question, “like asking what lies North of the North pole”. A genius with a sense of humour, and a bonafide Geek God.

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Geek God: Neil Turok

Posted on 01. Jul, 2009 by Jake.

On his academic credentials alone, Neil Turok is a candidate for Geek God. He was born in Johannesburg and studied in Cambridge. He received his PhD from Imperial College in London. His supervisor was David Olive, whose seminal contributions to string theory make him a Geek Hero or a Geek Villain, depending on your point of view.

Turok then did work in the United States, where he rose to become a physics professor at Princeton. In 1997, he took the Chair of Mathematical Physics at Cambridge.

He is considered one of the world’s top cosmologists. He made signifcant contributions to testing for the a cosmological constant  (an idea that was initially suggested, and then retracted, by Einstein) and, working with Stephen Hawking, developed the Hawking-Turok instanton solutions.  He and Hawking are both recipients of the Maxwell medal for excellence in physics – Hawking in 1976, Turok in 1992.

Among the weirder consequences of his theories is the idea that the universe didn’t begin with the Big Bang. Turok claims that the Big Bang – generally considered the moment at which the universe, and time itself, came into being – is merely one moment in an infinite cycle. And even weirder: it follows that perhaps time doesn’t always run forward. 

So far this could describe any of a (very small) number of elite academic scientists. What sets Turok apart – what makes him a Geek God – is another kind of contribution to the understanding of science.

A sense of social responsibility runs in Turok’s family. His parents were  prominent anti-apartheid activists, and his father, Ben Turok, is currently a member of parliament in South Africa.

This might partly explain Ben’s decision to launch the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Muizenberg, Cape Town.

The Institute offers postgraduate education for students from across Africa. It’s formation was made possible through a collaboration of top local and international universities. In addition to boosting scientific literacy in Africa, the school also attempts to promote science amongst women. The school does not have a permanent faculty, but some top scientists – including Turok himself – have taught there.

Anyone who has noted the poor performance of South African schools in maths and science will appreciate how important these efforts are. The next generation’s Mark Shuttleworths aren’t just going to magically appear – they need the training and support that will allow them to innovate. 

This contribution has not gone unacknowledged. Next to the MacArthur Fellowship – the so-called Genius Award – the most exciting award for creative and intellectual achievment is probably the TED Prize, which Turok received in 2008 for his work with the institute and for his contributions to science.
Of course, no number of training colleges, however well-meaning, are going to produce lasting changes without improvements in science education at primary school level.

This remains a huge challenge – but not for the dubious reasons some claim. 

In an interview with Wired, Turok was asked about comments made by James Watson about African intelligence.

Watson is a great scientist – he and Francis Crick discovered DNA – but even the smart people can say some pretty dumb things.
Turok’s response: “I think he’s nuts. My students are highly motivated and have a very high success rate. If he really believes they’re inferior, he should just come to the institute. I guarantee that if he spends an afternoon with these students, he’ll revise his opinion.”
It’s wonderful to see concrete evidence of Africa’s potential rather than just hopeful talk.

Not many South Africans get to study at the world’s top institutions. It’s great to see those who do giving something back – not just their expertise, but the chance for others to become experts too!

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