News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Stephen Hawking commemorated on new 50p coin. Parent comment

Re:Stephen Hawking commemorated on new 50p coin by nukeop on Tuesday March 12, 2019 @09:14AM (#19367766)
There are better choices for a historical scientist, such as Newton, Darwin, Bacon or Dalton. Hawking was popular in the niche circles but it's safe to assume that many people, even in the UK, would be unfamiliar with him. And shoehorning an obscure woman scientist in there just because she's female is an insult to the achievements all the women who excel in science and other fields.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Stephen Hawking commemorated on new 50p coin by detaro on Tuesday March 12, 2019 @09:24AM (#19367844)
Hawking is a household name in the UK.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Stephen Hawking commemorated on new 50p coin by balabaster on Tuesday March 12, 2019 @11:12AM (#19368901)
Not just in the UK. I would wager he's a household name in many houses the entire world over. His contribution to making physics accessible to everyone is... I fail to locate a word of sufficient magnitude to describe just how important and what an inspiration he was.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Stephen Hawking commemorated on new 50p coin by moate on Tuesday March 12, 2019 @09:22AM (#19367824)
What if they picked a prominent female scientist?

Also, there was a theatrically released biopic for Hawking and he was featured on an episode of the Simpsons, I think he's pretty mainstream.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Stephen Hawking commemorated on new 50p coin by sizzzzlerz on Tuesday March 12, 2019 @01:36PM (#19370778)
Did he ever find out more about that donut-shaped universe?
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Stephen Hawking commemorated on new 50p coin by billfruit on Tuesday March 12, 2019 @10:59AM (#19368753)
I would say there is a case for James Clark Maxwell, he's largely not remembered by people outside physics and electrical engineering.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Stephen Hawking commemorated on new 50p coin by eterm on Tuesday March 12, 2019 @09:20AM (#19367817)
Darwin was already used on tenner, Newton on the £1 note.
[ Parent | on HN ]