Stephen Hawking is renowned as one of the great thinkers of his generation. Stephen Hawking is a theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author and Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at Cambridge University. Stephen Hawking holds a Ph.D. from Cambridge University, his thesis being on the “Properties Of Expanding Universes,” and Hawking’s book, A Brief History of Time, stayed on the British Sunday Times best-seller list for a record-breaking 237 weeks.

Russell Brand is best known as a controversial comedian who was sacked by the BBC for a tasteless prank he pulled on Andrew Sachs, for briefly being married to Katy Perry, and for his sexual promiscuity and misuse of controlled drugs. Prospect Magazine recently named Brand as one of the world’s great thinkers in a list that did not include Stephen Hawking in its top 50.

The Mirror reports that Brand has once again hit the headlines, this time for controversial comments he has made about Stephen Hawking. Interviewed by Alan Carr on his chat show, Brand claimed that he is more intelligent than Stephen Hawking. Brand then claimed that he would have “no problem” knocking 73-year-old Stephen Hawking, who suffers from motor neurone disease, out of his motorized wheelchair.

According to the Daily Express, Brand said of his award, “It’s not even a medal! I have top notch thoughts. I can knock Hawking out of his chair. I am just drifting through life and trying my hardest.”

Brand also admitted during the interview that he has received death threats since he got involved in politics.

As one of the world’s most famous scientists, Stephen Hawking has been campaigning on behalf of fellow sufferers of motor neurone disease. The Daily Mail recently reported that Hawking had made a heartfelt plea to stop fellow sufferers from dying without a voice. Hawking believes that delays in treatment in the UK’s National Health Service mean that motor neurone disease sufferers are dying before they can receive proper treatment. Hawking also claims that “losing the capacity to communicate” is one of the most frightening symptoms of the disease.

Stephen Hawking, who lost the power of speech in 1985, was the subject of the inspiring Oscar-winning movie The Theory Of Everything, and was portrayed by Eddie Redmayne. Hawking communicates through a speech synthesiser and his distinctive electronic voice is recognized across the world.

Stephen Hawking is a patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association. Hawking says that “everyone with MND should be able to access speech and language therapy and the range of communication equipment technology which is out there. No one should die without a voice.”

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