Stephen Hawking in space, is this wise?

[Phoenix]

*WARNING*
This may be a debatable subject.

Stephen Hawking is planning a trip in to space via Richard Branson (Virgin Galactic).

The, rather short, Full Story

I mean aren't people worried about loosing the greatest mind of our generation to some unanticipated glitch? I'm not even sure his body could even take the stress involved.

[Captain Otto]

I'm not so worried about this.

He only says he plans to, if he is able to is entirely another question.

If there were any health concerns Branson will never allow him to fly

A live Hawking doing this trip is good PR - one who dies in the process is the worst case Branson can possible imagine. So if the doctors tell Hawking no Branson certainly will not risk very, very bad PR.

Besides let Paris Hilton to do the trip first to see if it is indeed save (I recall reading recently that she intended to take a flight as well) (Some people will stop at nothing just to get public attention. Paris Hilton - Pioneer Space Tourist - )

Best left uncommented...

[spyone]

I can't think of anyone better qualified than Stephen Hawking to judge the risks involved, and only he knows the full measure of the benefits (mostly: how bad does he wanna, and how much will he regret not doing it). Therefore, I leave the descision to him.

If I were offered a seat, and could afford it, .... well, I know it's not gonna be like an airliner. Even a 1930's airliner. More like riding in an airplane that some guy built in his garage, and powered by rockets. So there's like a 30% chance I'd end up dead somehow, I figure.
I'd still go.

[Ergi]

I'm not a doctor, but I fail to see how his neurological condition would affect his chances of survival during a space trip. Besides, I think this is his decision to make, and he's probably going to gladly accept the risk. For somebody who spent his whole life theorizing about the universe, there are probably worse ways of dying, than during a trip to space.

[Sarge]

He lives in a free country. If he can go, it's his choice. Yes, it would be a shame to lose one of history's greatest scientific minds, but he's already made far more contributions to mankind and science than most of us could dream of. He's done his duty. If he wanted to retire, no one could stop him. If he wants to take a chance with his life, good luck, Godspeed, and I want to hear all about it when he gets back.

[Tobian]

I say why the hell not, it's his life, it's been hell for him, and he gets to do something that cool, probably a lifelong dream, good for him is all I can say! Spaceship one (OK 2) isn't like going up in a Saturn V, it's not that bad, and he flies all over the world all the time, so I am sure it'll be fine for him, physically to do this, it's quite a few years off, and he's not exactly young so I can understand if there's a certain imminence to it: he might not live till when space-flight is no more difficult than a domestic flight, so he may as well go for it!

I agree about sending up Paris Hilton up first, just in case though

[First of Two]

If I could be the first person to swim in one of Titan's lakes, I don't think I'd mind if it was a one-way trip.

Don't know if I'd risk my life for suborbital, though.

[Cybrludite]

If we send Paris Hilton up, to we really have to let her come back down? Does Spaceship one have an airlock by any chance?

[First of Two]

Paris Hilton??

We've already sent chimps into space, I see no point in sending an even less-intelligent life form...

[Tobian]

Oh I don't know, I'm sure there's a battery of tests they could run to see how celebrities function in zero gravity