ホーキング博士の論文や車いす、後世に保存へ　英

【ロンドンＡＦＰ＝時事】世界的に有名な英国の宇宙物理学者で、２０１８年に死去した故スティーブン・ホーキング博士の論文やさまざまな私物が、後世に保存されることになった。（写真は資料写真）
　英ケンブリッジ大学図書館と英国の博物館グループ「サイエンス・ミュージアム・グループ」が、英政府との合意に基づき、４２０万ポンド（約６億５０００万円）で博士ゆかりの品々を取得した。
　１万ページに及ぶホーキング博士の科学論文やその他の文書などは、博士が死去した英東部の大学都市ケンブリッジに残される。
　学術論文や、博士が出演したテレビ番組の台本などの１９４４～２００８年の文書は、アイザック・ニュートンやチャールズ・ダーウィンの論文と共に保管される。
　博士の車いすや音声合成装置、ケンブリッジ大学の研究室などが、ロンドンの科学博物館に保存され、一部は来年から公開される。
　ホーキング博士の遺族は、「科学と向き合う機会が全ての人にあるべきとの強い思いが父にはありました。自身の残したものが、科学博物館とケンブリッジ大学図書館に収蔵されることを嬉しく思うでしょう」と述べた。
　２０１８年３月に７６歳で死去したホーキング博士の遺灰は、ロンドンのウェストミンスター寺院にあるニュートンとダーウィンの墓のそばに埋葬された。
　理論物理学者だったホーキング博士は、時間と空間の性質を説明する相対性理論や、最小の粒子の動きを扱う量子論など、宇宙の謎を解明することに人生をささげた。
　１９８８年に出版されたベストセラー書籍「ホーキング、宇宙を語る」では、宇宙の法則やブラックホールをめぐる難解な科学を広く一般に伝えた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/06/01-14:19）

Papers and a diverse range of personal items belonging to the late British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking have been acquired by Cambridge University and a UK museum group.
Under an agreement between Cambridge University Library, the Science Museum Group and the UK government, the entire contents of the world-renowned scientist's office and archive will be preserved for future generations.
The £4.2 million ($5.9 million, 4.8 million euros) deal means 10,000 pages of Hawking's scientific papers and other documents will remain in the university city of Cambridge in eastern England where he died in 2018.
Objects including his wheelchairs, speech synthesisers, and personal memorabilia including his entire Cambridge office will be housed at London's Science Museum and selected highlights will go on display next year.
The Cambridge archive, which includes documents dating from 1944 to 2008 including his academic papers and TV scripts from appearances on shows like The Simpsons, will be housed alongside papers from Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.
The ashes of Hawking, who died in March 2018, aged 76, were interred alongside the graves of Newton and Darwin in London's Westminster Abbey.
Hawking, a theoretical physicist, dedicated his life to unravelling the mysteries of the universe, including the nature of time and space -- relativity -- and quantum theory, how the smallest particles behave.
He popularised the obscure science surrounding the governing rules of the universe and black holes in his best-selling 1988 book A Brief History of Time.
- 'Legacy upheld' -
As his stature grew, he became an instantly recognisable popular figure. Motor neurone disease left him using a wheelchair and unable to speak except through a voice synthesiser.
However, the rare amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that gradually robbed him of mobility did nothing to dull his mind or trademark wit.
We are very pleased that these two important institutions will preserve our father's life's work for the benefit of generations to come and make his legacy accessible to the widest possible audience, his children Lucy, Tim and Robert Hawking said in a statement.
Our father strongly believed that everyone should have the chance to engage with science so he would be delighted that his legacy will be upheld by the Science Museum and Cambridge University Library, they added.
Cambridge University librarian Jessica Gardner said it was profoundly important his archive was preserved in the city where alongside the work of his hero, Newton, and so many other scientists.
It's a really important part of the legacy, she added.