Stephen Hawking at 70: How has he survived so long?

[Better Believe It]

Stephen Hawking at 70: How has he survived so long?
By MARIA CHENG
January 5, 2012

CAMBRIDGE, England — British scientist Stephen Hawking has decoded some of the most puzzling mysteries of the universe but he has left one mystery unsolved: How he has managed to survive so long with such a crippling disease.

The physicist and cosmologist was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease when he was a 21-year-old student at Cambridge University. Most people die within a few years of the diagnosis, called motor neurone disease in the U.K. On Sunday, Hawking will turn 70.

"I don't know of anyone who's survived this long," said Ammar Al-Chalabi, director of the Motor Neurone Disease Care and Research Centre at King's College London. He does not treat Hawking and described his longevity as "extraordinary."

To mark his birthday Sunday, Cambridge University is holding a public symposium on "The State of the Universe," featuring talks from 27 leading scientists, including Hawking himself. For 30 years, he held a mathematics post at the university previously held by Sir Isaac Newton. Hawking retired from that position in 2009 and is now director of research at the university's Centre for Theoretical Cosmology.


Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking has survived the crippling motor neuron disease for nearly 50 years, while most people die within a few years of diagnosis.

Read the full article at:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45886738/ns/health-aging/

[cthulu2016]

1. Time behaves differently inside a black hole

[VWolf]

3. LOL Yeah, that's it. n/t

[Old and In the Way]

2. I wonder, too.

My mom was diagnosed with ALS back in the 90's and she barely made it a year. It may be he has a unique variant of the disease or perhaps a totally different disease that masquerades as ALS with similar symptoms but one that does not ultimately lead to complete systems shutdown.

[Liberal-democrat]

4. Hawking's mission

He's a genius and perhaps his interests and his bright mind have given him a reason to live. His work has given meaning to his life.

Liberal-democrat

[Zorra]

14. Yep. He's determined to solve

the mystery of women.

[scheming daemons]

5. Well... it certainly wasn't prayer.

Hawking is ny favorite atheist.

[Stuckinthebush]

8. DUzy!

It must be Satan!

[malaise]

11. Ditto

He's a cosmic treasure

[Zorro]

6. He is well cared for

and can afford the care and attention.

[Eliminator]

7. Universal health care is a beautiful thing

Even if he wasn't paid well, it's good to know he gets his health care for free.

[jwirr]

9. Good health care is a vital part of our lives. My oldest daughter was only supposed to live to the

age of 20. When we moved to Minnesota which has very good health care she got excellent care from some of the best providers. She is now 50 years old and her doctor say she could live to be 70. Community based care that has treated her like a person has been the key. England has a good health care system. Stephen Hawkins is an example.

[Bake]

10. He refuses to die until he solves the mystery of the GUT.

Grand Unification Theory, that is.

That, and he's too brilliant to die. He survives by sheer force of intellect.

Bake

[ProfessorGAC]

13. Bake's Explanation Gets My Vote

He merely has the excess intellectual capapcity to make his body keep going despite the horrible disease.
GAC

[Bake]

17. Hi Professor!!

Long time no see!



Bake

[Dan]

12. He wasn't in America

Our insurance industry would have used a cost/benefit analysis and determined his life had no worth.

[mr blur]

15. I remember him crediting our NHS for his survival.

Do you think Rick Santorum would be impressed?

Probably not: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/9671217.stm

[OriginalGeek]

16. Clearly god is keeping Hawking alive

so that he can prove Him.