Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Remembering astrophysicist Stephen Hawking and his link to Caltech

    Stephen Hawking died Tuesday at his home in England. He was 76. Hawking was known for his work on the universe and black holes, and for his wheelchair-bound persona.

    • rss
    • apple-podcasts
    • spotify
    • Share
    By Madeleine Brand • Mar 14, 2018 • 1 min read

    Stephen Hawking died Tuesday at his home in England. He was 76. Hawking was known for his work on the universe and black holes, and for his wheelchair-bound persona. He was diagnosed with ALS at age 22, and lived with the disease for more than 50 years. It left him unable to move most of his body. He was dependent on technology for just about everything, including his ability to speak, but his brain was undiminished.

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Gina Pollack

      Producer

    • KCRW placeholder

      Sarah Sweeney

      Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

    • KCRW placeholder

      Michell Eloy

      Line Editor, Press Play

    • KCRW placeholder

      Sean Carroll

      professor of physics at Caltech, one of Stephen Hawking’s colleagues

      News
    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand