Physicist Stephen Hawking Hospitalized & “Very Ill” (Photos)

Stephen Hawking, the mathematician and physicist known for his work on black holes, was rushed to a hospital Monday. Read more on Hawking’s condition below.

Stephen Hawking has had a chest infection for several weeks and was being treated at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, the university city northeast of London, the university said.

“Professor Hawking is very ill,” said Gregory Hayman, the university’s head of communications. “He is undergoing tests. He has been unwell for a couple of weeks.”

Hawking, 67, is well-known for his work on black holes, and has remained active despite having been diagnosed with ALS, (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), an incurable degenerative disorder also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Hawking was diagnosed at the age of 21.

Hawking has been almost entirely paralyzed for many years, and he communicates through an electronic voice synthesizer activated by his fingers.

Brian Dickie, director of research at the Motor Neurone Disease Association, said only 5 percent of people diagnosed with ALS survive for 10 years or longer.

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Posted by: Monya

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