Stephen Hawking hits the Opera House as a hologram

World-famous physicist and cosmologist, Professor Stephen Hawking, has appeared as an onstage hologram during two lectures over the weekend in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.

The holographic image of Hawking was made possible by DVE Telepresence Holographic Live Stage technology and a high definition video stream provided by Cisco.

Professor Hawking – who was physically located at Cambridge University in the UK – was joined onstage by his daughter, Lucy Hawking, and physicist, Paul Davies.

He spoke about his childhood in post-war Britain, his years at both Oxford and Cambridge University and, of course, his thoughts on the future of mankind during his lecture in front of 2000 people on Sunday night.

Hawking took questions that had been submitted prior to his lecture from members of the audience. One attendee asked him if the universe could have been created by a supernatural being or god. After a long pause, he simply answered ‘No.’

Hawking also answered one of this year’s biggest questions. “What is the cosmological effect of Zayn [Malik] leaving One Direction and consequently breaking the hearts of millions of teenage girls around the world?

His advice to heartbroken teenage girls was to pay close attention to the study of theoretical physics, hinting one day there may be proof of multiple universes, and in a different universe, Zayn might have not left One Direction at all.

Meanwhile, Stephen and Lucy Hawking were awarded the 2015 University of New South Wales Medal for Science Communication. UNSW Dean of Science, professor Merlin Crossley presented the medals to Lucy on Sunday night.

Professor Crossley congratulated Lucy Hawking on being a great communicator of science who initiated the ‘George’ series of children’s books, co-written by Stephen Hawking. These books have sold millions of copies.

Hawking is not the only celebrity to have appeared at an event as a hologram, although the other two notables are deceased – singers Michael Jackson and Tupac.

Tupac appeared at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2012, and Michael Jackson at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards.

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Follow Byron Connolly on Twitter:@ByronConnolly