University staff help transport Professor Hawking almost 17,000km
When Professor Stephen Hawking took the stage in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall earlier this week it was his first public lecture in Australia.
However Professor Hawking was actually addressing his audience from almost 17,000km away, thanks to holographic-effect technology and a studio in the University of Cambridge.
The wizardry that transported a the hologram-style image of the professor across the huge distance worked thanks to the company Cisco, the University of New South Wales’ Big Questions Institute and the hard work of University of Cambridge staff.
While the audience in Sidney enjoyed An Evening with Stephen Hawking, the professor was actually seated in the University Information Services Videoconferencing Studio in the New Museum site’s Cockroft Building.
Sue Rogers, of University Information Services was there to assist on the night and said: “Cisco used our studios as they liked the size and the acoustics. We also had extra rooms for them in which they could set up their two van loads of equipment. Guy Goodrick from UIS ensured the event's demanding network requirements were met in order to make this connection with Australia.”
The studio was covered in black carpet and curtains to make the effect work, with Professor Hawking making his presentation surrounded by cameras.
“When I saw the effect on the internet I was amazed at how realistic it looked. We are always trying to give the best service to our customers but with Professor Hawking it raised the stakes even higher. It was really exciting and lovely to meet him. I had a huge sense of relief when it finished but was on a high as it all went so well,” added Sue.
It’s the little things that helps make events work said Sue. Builders working in the building had tidied away all materials that might interfere, University cleaners came in to put the finishing touches and everyone from car park attendant to security did their bit to make sure Professor Hawking and the technology shone on the night.
“All those people in the background helped it work,” said Sue.
During the Opera House presentation Professor Hawking talked about growing up in post-war Britain, his years at University and his life’s work, offering audiences a glimpse into the future and his hopes for humankind.
He also touched on the cosmological effect of Zayn leaving One Direction advising heartbroken teens to pay close attention to the study of theoretical physics, hinting that one day there may well be proof of multiple universes, and in a different universe Zayn might not have left One Direction at all.
Professor Hawking's daughter, Lucy, co-author of his series of popular science books for kids, was there in person to discuss her unique perspective of her father.
Images. Top image: The audience in Sydney Opera House. Carousel image 1: Physicist Paul Davies and Lucy Hawking on stage in Sydney. Carousel image 2: Professor Hawking "on stage". Carousel image 3: In the Cambridge studio (L-R) are Adam Fig, Chris Mack, Rachel Crisp, Richard Bentley, Prof. Stepehen Hawking, Simon Gascoigne, Barbara Mack, Stephen Johnstone, Sue Rogers, and Graham Edwards.