Glastonbury is never one to rest on its laurels and it has once again revealed something of a coup this year. Not only have they confirmed that the final night headline act will be none other than The Who, but they are also expecting a guest appearance by Professor Stephen Hawking at the annual extravaganza. Other major stars expected to appear on the Music front include Pharrell Williams and Mark Ronson.
No duet with Daltrey planned
Not that the celebrated British cosmologist is set to join the legendary rock star Roger Daltrey on stage. There are no scheduled plans for a duet on a rendition of "My Generation", despite the two celebrities only being separated by two years in age (Hawking is two years older at 73).
Instead, Hawking is believed to be appearing at the Kidz Field, with the precise nature of his performance yet to be confirmed.
The fame game
Hawking is no stranger to being in the public eye in recent years. In 2013 he appeared in an advert for the price-comparison website gocompare.com, although there were some who questioned whether his appearance was actually 'good' for Science in general at the time. He has also made appearances on episodes of popular television series such as Star Trek: The Next Generation and The Simpsons.
Serious scientist for the main part
There is of course a deeply serious side to his normal 'day job' at the University of Cambridge as well. He is perhaps the world's most famous physicist still alive, specialising in cosmology and quantum gravity.
Through his work he has probed into the very origins of the cosmos. With that knowledge and enthusiasm comes a certain duty to spread the word, to enthuse about his subject and encourage the next generation of scientists to take up his mantle in due course. He lectures widely and his books "The Universe in a Nutshell" and "A Brief History of Time" have become bestsellers.
Global warming is also a topic he cares about deeply and often warns of its potential to cause a world disaster in the (not so distant) future.
Potential trip into space
He had planned to go into orbit with Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic, before the troubles that befell that project made its future somewhat unclear in the short term.
His every day existence seems to challenge the perceived limitations placed on a man in a wheelchair. There is far more to him as a person than that, as evidenced by his appearance in a sketch for Comic Relief earlier this year and also at the Baftas. His life story was immortalised by the film "The Theory of Everything", which earned the actor who portrayed him, Eddie Redmayne an Oscar.
The immediate future though will see him at Glastonbury, probably narrating details from one of his successful books. He will have the opportunity to pass on his thoughts to a young audience of Children, as the Kidz Field area is targeted at those aged 12 years and under. Glastonbury runs from June 24th to the 28th.
