Stephen Hawking Going To Canada 204
thepacketmaster writes "A previous Slashdot article I posted mentioned the possibility of Stephen Hawking coming to Canada. The Toronto Star now reports that he has accepted the position. Hawking will hold the title of distinguished research chair at the prestigious Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics."
Someone sent us up the brain! (Score:5, Interesting)
It's kind of ironic in that Canada has historically had a problem with what we call the "brain drain", where students graduate and leave for the US or overseas for higher paying jobs. Nice to see us on the other end of that for once!
Just before World War II, Einstein left.. (Score:0, Interesting)
Germany.
Is this an ominous sign?
Re:Someone sent us up the brain! (Score:5, Interesting)
It's apparently a bit of a myth. There is (or was) a slight tendency for recent, young graduates to run off to the US lured by promises of the big bucks. Most of them (plus others) come back though, after they start to add up what educating their kids and keeping themselves healthy will cost. Those two factors tend to wipe out any tax advantages there might be.
Re:Just before World War II, Einstein left.. (Score:3, Interesting)
Not especially, unless you're peddling paranoia.
Watch Out, Canada! (Score:3, Interesting)
Anyone up for his old job? (Score:3, Interesting)
A vacancy has just opened up. Apply [cam.ac.uk] by December 15.
Perimeter = RIM? (Score:3, Interesting)
A: Rim, or more appropriately, RIM (Research In Motion)
Not sure if it's already mentioned in the comments, but the Perimeter Institute was founded, and is primarily funded, by Mike Lazaridus, Co-CEO of RIM and Chancellor of the University of Waterloo.
I wonder if Dr. Hawking will be getting a free Blackberry? (I guess he'll have to design an interface as his first task at Perimeter.)
Re:Someone sent us up the brain! (Score:5, Interesting)
Actually, guns are very available in Canada. I believe we even have a per capita gun ownership that exceeds that of the US, though I'm not positive on that. Regardless, there's just some cultural difference that prevents us from killing each other the way you guys do, although there are gun deaths, don't get me wrong.