Will Stephen Hawking Leave Cambridge for Perimeter Institute?

FutureTracker| Cambridge Professor Stephen Hawking will open the RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden on May 24, 2010. The Planetary Society gave physicist Hawking the Cosmos Award for Outstanding Public Presentation of Science on Feb. 27.

“Stephen Hawking is a science superstar,” said Louis Friedman, Executive Director of The Planetary Society. “His insights span the universe and deepen our understanding of all physics.” via The Planetary Society 

There’s no doubt that Britain has a love affair with Professor Hawkings. but the esteemed scientist isn’t feeling so great about Cambridge University and Britain’s funding of its scientists.

Not only is Stephen Hawking headed for a two-month summer stay at the Perimeter Institute in Ontario this summer.  If all goes well, Professor Hawkings may leave Cambrige University, following his colleague Neil Turok, who joined the Perimeter Institute in 2008.

The 68-year-old - who has made key advances in theoretical physics while almost completely paralysed by motor neurone disease - said restrictions in grants mean scientific research in Britain is increasingly focused on its industrial application rather than the pursuit of knowledge and discovery. via Daily Mail

In contrast to Cambridge, the Perimeter Institute - set up seven years ago by Mike Lazaridis, the creator of the BlackBerry handheld device - has raised substantial funding for pure science from private donations. Anne via Daily Mail