Cosmologist Stephen Hawking, shown in this file photo from April 11, 1996, will give a lecture at the White House on March 6 on ``science in the next millennium,'' Cambridge University announced Friday Feb. 27, 1998. Hawking, author of the best-selling ``A Brief History of Time'' and Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge, will address 160 guests at the second of President Clinton's ``millennium evenings,'' the university said. FILE

Hawking offers view of science in the 21st century

Web posted March 7, 1998

Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Capping a week-long drive to publicize the importance of science and technology, President Clinton and his wife, Hillary, invited the noted physicist Stephen Hawking to the White House on Friday to deliver a lecture on science in the 21st century.

Fittingly, Hawking's talk was being broadcast by satellite and cybercast over the Internet.

The Clintons asked Hawking to be the guest lecturer at the second ``Millennium Evening,'' an East Room gathering with scholars, scientists and others to focus on the future. The first lecture was by a Harvard historian in February.

Hawking, 56, has the incurable disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. His vocal cords were removed years ago to help him breathe, and he communicates through a computerized synthesizer that is mounted to his motorized wheelchair.

Hawking is the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University, a position once held by Sir Isaac Newton. His lecture was titled ``Imagination and Change: Science in the Next Millennium.''

The Hawking appearance capped a series of White House events focused on science. On Thursday, after announcing the promotion of Air Force Lt. Col. Eileen Collins to be the first female space shuttle commander, Collins and Mrs. Clinton went to a local high school to encourage students to pursue science and math studies. On Thursday evening, the Clinton's hosted a screening of ``From the Earth to the Moon,'' an HBO miniseries about the pioneering days of the American space program.