Stephen Hawking
- This article is about the Stephen Hawking character. For the real-life physicist and guest voice actor, please see Stephen Hawking.
- "Your theory of a donut-shaped universe is intriguing, Homer. I may have to steal it."
- ―Stephen Hawking[src]
Stephen Hawking
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Character Information
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Stephen Hawking is a British theoretical physicist. He has visited Springfield several times.
Description
Stephen Hawking is paralyzed and in a motorized wheelchair. The chair's features include a speech synthesizer, a toothbrush, a concealed extensible boxing glove, and a propeller which can deploy from the back of the chair and start spinning, essentially turning the chair into a miniature helicopter.[1]
History
Professor Hawking first visited Springfield when he heard that the local Mensa chapter had taken control of the city. He was hoping to see the town transformed into a perfect utopia under the leadership of the intellectual elite, but was dismayed to see it was more of a "fruitopia". Hawking said he wasn't sure which was the bigger disappointment: His own failure to formulate a unified field theory, or the Springfield intellectuals' failure to transform the town. Principal Skinner objected to the comparison, and Hawking used his chair's boxing glove to punch him.
The townspeople revolted, and Hawking decided to make his escape. After accidentally deploying his chair's toothbrush (when he pressed the wrong button), Hawking activated his chair's propeller and flew away. When the townspeople began destroying a gazebo and Lisa was trapped inside, Hawking flew in and rescued her.
After the chaos died down, Marge suggested going out for some beers, which Hawking said was the smartest idea he'd heard all day. At Moe's Tavern, Hawking and Homer had a pleasant conversation over a beer. Hawking was intrigued by Homer's "theory of a donut-shaped universe" and said he might have to steal it. When Homer tried to stick Hawking with the bar tab (by imitating the chair's speech synthesizer), Hawking used the boxing glove to punch Homer.[1]
When Homer struck up a friendship with Ray Magini, Homer was the only one who could see Ray and the rest of the family thought that Homer was imagining things. Hawking appeared and explained to Bart that a space-time discontinuity was preventing everyone else from seeing Ray.[2]
The town later had a corn maze in which both Hawking and Homer managed to get lost. While Homer had to wait for Santa's Little Helper to come to the rescue, Hawking used his chair's propeller to fly out of the maze.[3]
Hawking was also seen at Expressions, wearing gold jewellery, including a chain with the relativity equation (E=MC2), while spinning in circles to a song.[4] One time, when Homer wondered what a cube is, he calls Hawking.[5]
Non-canon
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The contents of this article or section are considered to be non-canon and therefore may not have actually happened or existed. |
Hawking was seen waiting in line to board the spaceship that was evacuating people from the Y2K apocalypse.[6]
Behind the Laughter
- Even though in reality, Professor Hawking is almost completely paralyzed, his animated self in The Simpsons can make facial expressions, blink his eyes and move his hands. Also, Hawking cannot use his hands in reality, and is forced to use a Brain-computer interface in order to operate the computer on his wheelchair and speak with the voice synthesizer.
- Also, in reality, Hawking's chair does not have a deployable propeller.
Appearances
Episode – "They Saved Lisa's Brain" 
THOH – "Treehouse of Horror X" - Episode – "Don't Fear the Roofer"
- Episode – "The Great Louse Detective" mentioned
- Episode – "Stop or My Dog Will Shoot"
- Episode – "Elementary School Musical"
Comic story – An Easy Assignment
References
