This person died in 2018, age 76. He published a non-fiction book in 1988 that has sold more than 10 million copies and inspired a documentary film by Errol Morris. He married twice; fathered three children; and was not above appearing on “The Simpsons,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation” or “The Big Bang Theory.” In 1963 he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, and told he had only a few years to live. In 1973 he set out to apply quantum theory, the weird laws that govern subatomic reality, to black holes. Today’s dead celebrity is Stephen Hawking.

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy Episode 100 “Divine Neighbor” (Fred Rogers) and Episode 17 “Modest Moonwalker” (Neil Armstrong).

Famous & Gravy is created and hosted by Michael Osborne. This episode features guest co-host Dr. Nicholas Weiler.

LINKS:

Transcript of this episode

NYT obituary for Stephen Hawking

Errol Morris documentary A Brief History of Time

Stephen Hawking on BBC Desert Island Discs (1992)

Stephen Hawking on The Simpsons

Stephen Hawking on Star Trek: The Next Generation

Stephen Hawking interview on John Oliver: Last Week Tonight

Dead or Alive quiz game

Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads

Famous & Gravy official website

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This person died in 2008, age 66. He changed his major from English to anthropology after a professor’s harsh critique, graduating summa cum laude from Harvard in 1964. He earned a medical degree five years later, then walked away from clinical science altogether. He used fiction to explore the moral and political problems posed by modern technology and scientific breakthroughs. His books sold in the tens of millions and almost routinely became movies, many of them blockbusters like "Jurassic Park", "The Lost World," as well as "Rising Sun." He juggled roles as a novelist, screenwriter, director, and producer in both film and TV. Today’s dead celebrity is Michael Crichton.

If you liked this episode, you might also enjoy Episode 97 "Time Pilgrim" (Kurt Vonnegut) and Episode 74 "Masterclass Act" (Philip Seymour Hoffman).

Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Michael Osborne. This episode features guest co-host John Watts and is produced by Evan Sherer.

LINKS:

Transcript of this episode

NYT obituary for Michael Crichton

2007 Charlie Rose interview

1970s Dick Cavett appearance

1992 TED Talk

1999 Predictions about the future

Dead or Alive quiz game

Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads

Famous & Gravy official website

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.