Public invited to lecture on Stephen Hawking at WNC

Courtesy Steve Yingling, Western Nevada College

One of the world’s great minds in theoretical physics will be the topic for lecturer Mike Thomas on Saturday, March 11 at Western Nevada College.

Thomas will lecture on Stephen Hawking, the renowned English theoretical physicist, at 6:30 p.m. at Jack C. Davis Observatory.

For the past half-century, Hawking has provided insight into basic laws that govern the universe. One of his accomplishments is proving that Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity implied space and time have a beginning in the Big Bang and an end in black holes. He also theorized that black holes aren’t entirely black and emit radiation before evaporating, and that the universe has no boundaries or edge.

Hawking has been a marvel of another kind, too, having survived for more than half-century after being diagnosed with a form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis as a 21-year-old. Now 75 and paralyzed, Hawking is outspoken on many current topics and serves as the director of Research at the Center for Theatrical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge.

Doors to the observatory open at 6 p.m. for Thomas’ free lecture.

Thomas has provided lectures at the observatory for more than a decade. Through his passion for astronomy, Thomas served as the Western Nevada Astronomical Society’s president for seven years.

On Saturday nights when lectures aren’t scheduled, the observatory is open to the public from sundown to 11 p.m. At this time, the Western Nevada Astronomical Society hosts Star Parties, bringing together people with an interest in astronomy.

The observatory is located at 2699 Van Patten Drive in Carson City.