First International Award Named after Steven Hawking to Be Handed by Hawking Himself
Within STARMUS International scientific festival a medal has been created, which bears the name of famous theoretical physicist Steven Hawking. Both founder of the festival and author of the medal bearing the name of Steven Hawking is Garik Isryelyan, well-known Armenian astrophysicist, employee of Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC) (Canarian Institute of Astrophysics), PhD in natural sciences.
From June 27 to July 2 upon the initiative of Garik Israyelian, the third international STARMUS festival in Tenerife Island, which will have “Tribute to Steven Hawking Beyond the horizon” heading this year, paying tribute to the most famous British astrophysicist of all times. Regarded as the word’s more ambitious scientific festival, more than tens of laureates of physics, chemistry and medicine will take part in the next STARMUS.
Among them Harold Kroto և Eric Betzig (chemistry, 1996 and 2014), Carol Greider and Elizabeth Blackburn (medicine, 2009), (physics, 1978) Robert Wilson and David Gross (physics, 2004), Adam Riess and Brian Schmidt (physics, 2011), Edvard Moser and May‐Britt Moser (medicine, 2014) can be found. To existing laureates famous astrophysicists and other scientists will join the list, as well as well-known cosmonauts Michael Lopez‐Alegra, Garrett Reisman, Chris Hadfield and Russell Schweickart, astrophysicists Neil deGrasse Tyson,Kip Thorne, Martin Rees, Jill Tarter and Robert Williams, physicist Neil Turok and others.
For more details on the festival to be held from June 27 to July 2, 168.am had a telephone talk with astrophysicist Garik Israyelian. The latter told that yet in 2015 December, when presentation of medal after Steven Hawking, the world-famous scientist, had already told him that for his interest in science he obliges his teacher of mathematics Tigran Tahtian.
-We know that a medal has been created within STARMUS international festival, which bears the name of famous theoretical physicist Steven Hawking’s name. What medal is that and what’s its purpose?
– In December 2015 presentation of medal named after Steven Hawking was launched in London’s Royal Academy, to which, upon my invitation a few world-famous starts participated as well, form which famous Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer, well-known opera singer Sarah Brightman, physicist Kip Torn from Steven Hawking’s closest colleagues and others.
At presentation it was announced that medal after Steven Hawking will be granted to all persons, having considerable investments to present and spread science and scientific explorations. The medal has been created to encourage these individuals. Up to present this is a unique international medal granted to people who raise awareness of science.
– Who may be pretenders to the medal?
–Representatives of defined three categories: movie specialists, who demonstrated considerable support in movie genre towards rising awareness of science, from which: scriptwriters, producers, who targeted their attention to creation of a movie revealing science. Next category belongs to writers of propaganda direction and topic, and will be writer-scientists, or reporters elucidated on the topic for many years, and others. The third category belongs to artists: musicians, painters, photographers (e.g. astrophotography) and etc, who permanently or very often are inspired by various fields and news of science and with their art reflected to science. There are lots of likewise artists, on which scientists themselves don’t know and that professional contact between scientists and artists is simply lost. It’s necessary to find and restore them.
– When may we known who will be the winner of the first medal after Steven Hawking?
–Medal award ceremony will be held during STARMUS international festival in Tenerife. This year it’ll be launched from June 27 to July 2, and when the festival is held, name of the first winner will be known. And the first medal will be granted by Hawking himself.
–Mr. Israyelian, besides Steven Hawking medal to be awarded this year for the first time, what new surprises and programs are provided within STARMUS to be held in 2016?
– Press release will be spread soon, which will cover new names of the participants, as already names of 8 scientists have been added. At this moment, I might say that accent of this year will be put on planets of solar system. Very interesting phenomena are expected regarding Saturn and Mars. One of the most famous NASA experts will participate in the festival, news on Saturn, Mars will be touched upon, as well as on reaching Pluto of NASA satellite. As usual, there will also be world-famous artists, names of which I’m not going to mention now, but very soon information with its large volume will be available to all.
Photos of Starmus, special for 168.am.
By Nvard Manvelyan
