Stephen Hawking invited to lecture in Thailand

[webfact]

SPECIAL EDUCATION FAIR
Stephen Hawking invited to lecture in Thailand

BANGKOK: -- The Office of the Basic Education Commission has invited worldrenowned scientist Stephen Hawking who has researched and written on the universe and time to speak to an Asean special education fair in late July 2015.

Hawking, 73, is a theoretical physicist and cosmologist who suffers from a motor neuron disease. He communicates with a speech synthesiser.

OBEC Secretary General Kamol Rodklai said the invitation was underway and that he had assigned the Bureau of Special Education to organise a fair on a grand scale as Thailand is a leader in special education in Asean and education specialists from many countries would come to inspect special education here.

Thai News Agency reported that Payom Chinnawong, director of the Bureau of Special Education, said if Hawking accepts the invitation, he would change attitudes towards education for people with disabilities and underprivileged children, as he could move only his eyes but has become a worldrenowned scientist.

Payom however wondered if the Hawking's medical condition would limit his ability to travel to Thailand.

OBEC is also inviting Howard Gardner, a psychologist at Harvard University, to the same fair.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Stephen-Hawking-invited-to-lecture-in-Thailand-30249067.html


-- The Nation 2014-12-03

[harrry]

They may have to do some costructions of access ramps to get him into venues.

[terryp]

do these fools ever research anything ? it has been know for some time that the Prof does not do LIVE lectures anymore (via Skype yes) he basically is loosing the function to control the speech comp and his life is basically coming to an end...so yes hes going to get on a flight to asia DUHHH?

[slapout]

I am not surprised to hear the claim that "Thailand is a leader in special education" by the good Secretary. I wonder why he stopped there in his praise of the education system as practiced in Thailand? The 'special' may reference the trade of grade for favors, payments made for tests in advance, the money charged to get teachers a raise, how students are disiplined, etc

Sometimes I wonder who is impersinating a offical in Thailand and who is working undercover for TAT, trying to get additional budget alloted for their use.

[rubl]

Maybe Professor Hawking can be interesting in a video conferencing activity.

As an early 73rd birthday present he just got a new communication system from Intel, a gift of which he said

"My old system was over 20 years old and I was finding it very difficult to communicate effectively. This new system is life changing for me and I hope will serve me well for the next 20 years."

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-12/02/stephen-hawking-intel-communication-system

[metisdead]

Some downright nonsense posts have been removed as well as the replies.

[Seastallion]

Prof Hawking is a legend.

I'm not sure that his medical condition or incapacity is something that he'll want as the focus of this invitation. He may even be offended.

If he is invited to speak about his research, regardless of his wheelchair and speech synthesiser....that is something, but he is being invited to speak because of his wheelchair.

He is far too eminent a scholar to be invited for that.

I urge the Bureau of Special Education to not forward the invite. It's an embarrassment.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

It's a nice sentiment to invite him to encourage respect of the handicapped.

Maybe they can just make Thailand the hub of Steven Hawking teachings or something.

Or have S. Hawking day etc.

Really this forum needs a Laugh button more than it needs a Like button

[Commerce]

"The Office of the Basic Education Commission has invited world renowned scientist Stephen Hawking who has researched and written on the universe and time to speak to an Asean special education fair in late July 2015."

They're taking the piss, right? ...... what a direct insult to such a man! Words are beyond me......

[AGareth2]

maybe he could do the opening address for Le tour

[steelepulse]

Thailand can go ahead and invite anyone they want to draw headlines, but I seriously doubt most would take up the offer after such announcements as "Thailand has a cure for Ebola", "Thailand will host the Tour de France", "Thai Air will be profitable next year" etc. All of these statements are just hot air to draw attention.

Stephen Hawking is a brilliant man that makes difficult things easily understood for the lay person, something that Thai laws could take a page from.

[ttthailand]

As stated by others, they would have to build ramps for his wheelchair. I don't think he would come here but if Thailand was really a leader for disabled in Asia he might consider perhaps. Thailand is however far from a leader for the disabled. Wheelchair access is scarce and you would have trouble competing with the motorbikes for sidewalk space if you could get access.

This is one country I would not want to live or visit if I was disabled... For sure !

[webfact]

OBEC invites Stephen Hawking to Thailand
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Dec 3 -- Thailand's Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) has invited world-renowned scientist Stephen Hawking who has researched and written on the universe and time to speak to an ASEAN special education fair in late July 2015.

Stephen William Hawking, 73, is a theoretical physicist and cosmologist who suffers from a motor neuron disease. He communicates with a speech synthesizer.

OBEC Secretary-General Kamol Rodklai said the invitation was underway and that he assigned the Bureau of Special Education to organize the fair grandly, as Thailand is a leader in special education in ASEAN and education specialists from many countries would come to inspect special education here.

Payom Chinnawong, director of the Bureau of Special Education, said if Mr Hawking accepts the invitation, he would change attitudes towards education for people with disabilities and underprivileged children, as he could move only his eyes but has become a world-renowned scientist.

Mr Payom said he wondered if the Mr. Hawking's medical condition of Mr Hawkin would limit his ability to travel to Thailand.

The Office of the Basic Education Commission is also inviting Howard Gardner, a psychologist at Harvard University, to the same fair (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-12-03

[Commerce]

Maybe next year somebody from the Office of the Basic information Commission will invite Richard Feynman, after googling quantum physics......

...and then realise how Basic mistakes can be made.

[Rooney860]

Can just see him zooming down Sukomvit dodging potholes and motorbikes (on the footpath)!!!! <deleted>!!!!

[Somtamnication]

Well, he can talk about artificial intelligence, which is quite prevalent in Thailand!

[mojorison]

People with disabilities in Thailand are legally discriminated against.

http://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc5300/sc5339/000113/000000/000451/unrestricted/20040948e/art_2.html

I'm surprised he got a visa.

[Misterwhisper]

How would you feel as a world famous scientist who has spent decades researching and solving some of the most complex and enigmatic issues in the universe if you were invited by a basic education commission? Flattered or insulted?

[ezzra]

What is he going to lecture about? the physics of corruption and how prefect it and not get caught?

coz any other subject that he will talk about will bore the crap out of the audience...

[outsider]

Thailand is a leader in special education in Asean... really?

[Benmart]

Invitations in Thailand seem to be as plentiful as there are barriers on walkways and pathways for the disabled.

The noise and fanfare from the private and public sectors will not improve this impedance and encroachment by vendors, scooters and sundry vehicles.

Good luck Mr. Hawking and others that use alternative aids to get about.

[GAZZPA]

Prof Hawking is a legend.

I'm not sure that his medical condition or incapacity is something that he'll want as the focus of this invitation. He may even be offended.

If he is invited to speak about his research, regardless of his wheelchair and speech synthesiser....that is something, but he is being invited to speak because of his wheelchair.

He is far too eminent a scholar to be invited for that.

I urge the Bureau of Special Education to not forward the invite. It's an embarrassment.

Absolutely right,, he is considered one of the worlds greatest Scientists and will certainly go down in history as such. Educating the masses on how disabled people can be smart too is not really what his lives message has been about so far.

Still this is Thailand, what do you expect,,

[aboctok]

It's a nice sentiment to invite him to encourage respect of the handicapped.

Maybe they can just make Thailand the hub of Steven Hawking teachings or something.

Or have S. Hawking day etc.

Really this forum needs a Laugh button more than it needs a Like button

Heyyy, a laugh button. Hmmm.

[lemonjelly]

Note to 'The Nation'........ an invite is not worthy of a headline, the acceptance would be. Please stop cluttering the bandwidth with trivia. Thank you.

[Lupatria]

Nice attempt. They should have invited Albert Einstein a long time ago to hold a lecture of nothing else than common sense.

[Seastallion]

How would you feel as a world famous scientist who has spent decades researching and solving some of the most complex and enigmatic issues in the universe if you were invited by a basic education commission? Flattered or insulted?

It's far more insulting than that. He's being invited because he is a man with a degree or two in a wheelchair.

​His eminence as a scientist and thinker are secondary.

There must be thousands of disabled scientists that would be suitable.

[outsider]

Note to 'The Nation'........ an invite is not worthy of a headline, the acceptance would be. Please stop cluttering the bandwidth with trivia. Thank you.

Then there will be nothing to read! C'mon... leave it be. A little bit of a laugh a day won't hurt now would it? Hehehe

[Lingba]

People here barely have the ability to comprehend an average intelligent person...now they want the brain of all brains to lecture here...Dr H is above and way beyond what anyone here could possibly comprehend

[simon43]

I remember meeting Professor Hawking sometime in the late 80's. (My middle brother was one of his PhD students). Although the subject of Cosmology is rather complex (for my slow brain), he had a way of describing these complex ideas in a way that even dumbos like me could understand.

As his speech started to fail, my brother accompanied him on his tours as his 'interpreter', as he (my brother) was still able to understand his broken speech.

I remember watching a 'Man Alive' program about all this - long time ago now....

[phantomfiddler]

For Stephen Hawking to be giving a lecture in a country renowned for having close to the worst level of education around is preposterous, feeding pearls to swine as the english would say !