Several years ago Professor Hawking spoke here in Seattle at the Seattle Center. The talk was sponsored by hubby's TV station so we got free tickets. Our seats were great and I sat right by the microphone where questions would be taken later. I know the exact date - Oct. 24, 1994 - because there was news about Andrew Wiles solving
Fermat's Last Theorem, something I only knew about marginally.
I spent the time leading up to the talk vacillating about asking Prof. Hawking about this. So when question time came, with the mic right next to me... I chickened out. Someone else took his place before the mic and identified himself as an
oneironaut then asked whether Prof. Hawking ever had lucid dreams (yes, it
is odd). It took him a few minutes to write his answer for the voice module. He told the person that while he had dreamed he was Julius Caesar but "I do not think it held any particular significance." That got a laugh.
We got to go backstage afterwards but, though we were within 6 feet of him, did not get to meet him. It was his dinner time. We were grateful just for that.
Stephen Hawking was brilliant and witty and one of the greatest scientists the world has ever known. He gave us so much. Thank you, Professor Hawking. Blessed Be.