The daughter of the mythical Stephen Hawking will address the Lithuanians: remember her father’s words in the face of a pandemic

Lucy Hawking is a world-renowned writer, science writer, and philanthropist. Her book series on the boy George and her adventures is one of the most famous science book series for children. This book series has been written by several famous scholars, including Stephen Hawking himself. Lucy still regrets that her father did not allow her to have a character in the books who would be an alien.

Already on September 25, Lucy will address Lithuanians at the LOGIN conference. Delphi She had the opportunity to speak with the writer about her childhood, her father, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

– Let’s start with the most important question: how do you cope with the COVID-19 pandemic? Maybe you have some advice for those who are very concerned or believe in pseudoscientific facts?

– This pandemic is an extraordinary experience, both to try to continue with the daily work and to think about what scientific communicators should do in this context and how we can better help.

I am currently preparing two animations, both based on scientific facts, both for children about things related to the current situation. The idea is to provide accurate information in an entertaining content format so that children can safely see and discover what is happening in the world.

I have great sympathy for people who feel stressed in the current situation – I was quite anxious and at times overwhelmed by the huge global challenge we had to face: surviving and recovering.

However, taking advantage of the false comfort of pseudoscience is not helpful because there are no answers to our current challenges. You might think that if you help people feel better in this crisis, it might be a good thing. But if this leads to the rejection of a research-proven effective COVID-19 vaccine, it would be a massive catastrophe.

– You are a journalist and a writer. Do you see the influence of your father in the path you have chosen?

– My parents are skilled writers, able to communicate their thoughts extremely well, so I think it had a great impact on me. I’ve always loved books – I’ve been able to read since I was a kid and my parents’ house was full of books too, so I think that contributed too. Reading itself was perceived as a valuable activity, so I had the support of my parents.

– What is your first memory of your father?

– I remember being so small that my feet in shiny shoes dangled in the air as I sat on the red sofa in our first home in Cambridge! Dad was sitting next to me and we talked. I don’t remember what, I was a very talkative kid, so it could be anyone! Maybe he told me about black holes?

– Many will say that his family was very exceptional: his father was disabled and at the same time very famous. What effect did this have on you?

– My family was certainly very unusual, since my father was very disabled and very famous all over the world. However, when I was a child, I was not very well known except to scientists. Therefore, I did not experience the intrusion that fame would have brought into our lives.

But we certainly caused a stir no matter where we went, because it was hardly heard in the 1970s that a disabled person would have a family like my father did. People with disabilities did not have to run in electric wheelchairs with two blond children running alongside them at the time! Most of the people were friendly and helpful, but there were also very difficult times. My mom is a hero, it had to be very difficult for her.

– Was science found in space easy for you to understand as a child, or was it still difficult to grasp? How did your father try to explain such complex topics to children?

– My father had a very vivid and picturesque way of telling his work, so he knew how to seduce us with what he did. It was very good at finding everyday examples of how to explain the Universe, although it bothered some people. He once read a speech in St. Petersburg (it was still Leningrad then) and the translator was very upset by the comparisons he used. When he said, “The universe is just a matter of plumbing,” she took off her headphones and refused to translate further.

– Rarely do we see scientists leave such a huge mark on popular culture. Was your family (especially your father) surprised that you were quoted so often in the media?

– I think my father was surprised, because despite all the glory, he did not understand why people admire him so much. So when he was quoted or if he made a comment that became a headline, he was always very surprised. However, it set out to promote science and make it accessible to the general public, not just through academic conferences and publications, and recognized that its iconic status could be helpful in engaging people who might not otherwise be interested in science, so he tried to use his influence and voice to achieve it.

Some of him just had fun, like playing the Simpsons. We all enjoy unexpectedly finding references to him in popular culture and talking about it, like his rap battle with Einstein.

– You wrote children’s books with your father. Was it easy or were there times when your opinions were different?

– We both went on a great journey to create children’s books where stories, adventures, humor, and characters make science fun and exciting for young readers. My father hadn’t written fiction and I never tried to incorporate science into my narrative, so we both had a lot to learn. But it was a very nice challenge for us. Especially since so many young readers fell in love with our books. We didn’t really have disagreements, although I was saddened that we couldn’t have a character that was an alien.

What are you most excited about about astronomy? What were your father’s favorite subjects?

– My father’s favorite subject was black holes and, of course, these are the strangest and most peculiar objects in the universe. It still amazes me to think that while we gaze at the stars in the night sky, we travel back in time.

– How do you think your father would react to the COVID-19 pandemic?

– My father would have advocated for a science-based response to the coronavirus pandemic and I think he would really have a lot to say on the subject. This pandemic could have been difficult and terrifying for him personally, as he was very vulnerable to such infections due to his long-term motor neuron disease.

I think he would also have talked about the need to protect people with disabilities, their families and caregivers and give them the support they need to survive this crisis.

– In recent years it has been noted that denial of science is becoming increasingly popular. Some people choose not to believe scientific facts. Why do you think this is the case and what can we do to make it change?

– The decline in public trust in science is very concerning and is not one of the most difficult reasons this has happened. In part, the joint effort seems to cast doubt on what the scientific findings really mean. We see this with climate change: it is still said that there are two sides to the debate, when there really is no debate and there are not two sides. There is simply climate change and its effects, which are already getting worse.

However, the scientific community must respond together and strive to be inclusive rather than exclusive. One idea of ​​denial of science is that people involved in conspiracy theories already feel unjust and excluded, and their exclusion further furthers their beliefs. Of course, much remains to be done in this area.

– What are you most looking forward to in the future?

– I wish I could travel again! I really wanted to travel to Lithuania and I am very sorry that I cannot come.

– What is your main message to the login conference participants?

– My main message is taken from one of my father’s lectures on black holes, where he said, ‘Even if you find yourself in a dark place, don’t give up. There’s always an exit. “

Lucy Hawking at the LOGIN conference on September 25 at 12 pm will read the conference keynote address.

You can get acquainted with the whole program at https://login.lt/agenda/
You can see all the speakers at https://login.lt/speakers/
You can buy tickets at https://login.lt/pass/