In this remarkable new series ‘Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design’ the world’s most famous physicist attempts to unravel the truths behind humanity’s most enduring questions: Did God Create the universe? What is the meaning of life? Why does the universe exist?
The programme looks at the latest understanding of black holes, featuring an interview with Stephen Hawking. Black holes are one of the greatest mysteries in the universe. They behave in a way that is contrary to laws of physics and one has never actually been seen. However, the recent detection of gravitational waves, as predicted by Einstein, proves that black holes exist and provides a way to investigate their remarkable behaviour and properties.
Since he was a teenager, Dara O Briain has been fascinated with Professor Stephen Hawking, the world's most celebrated scientist. In this special film, Dara spends time with his boyhood hero as he attends the world premiere of The Theory of Everything, the movie made about his life, and then at Professor Hawking's home and place of work in Cambridge. In 1963, Stephen was diagnosed with ALS, a form of motor neurone disease, and given two years to live. Over 50 years later, he is still working on new scientific theories and has become an unlikely pop culture icon. Dara meets the people who keep him healthy and working - his carers and support team, his academic colleagues and friends - and Eddie Redmayne, who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Hawking on film. After attending the premiere of The Theory of Everything, Dara travels to Cambridge where Stephen has spent most of his adult life.