Considered by many to be
the foremost living theoretical
physicist with an intellect to rival or surpass Einstein's - he proved
that the universe began from a single point - a singularity, he
also has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS, also called Lou
Gehrig's disease, is a progressive and incurable neuromuscular disease
that weakens and eventually destroys motor neurons. Hawking's voice
is created
artificially by machine.