In Memoriam: P.E. Bartleby Crulge on the Death of Stephen Hawking

"Esteemed ladies and gentleman of the house, or whathaveyou in this circumstance, director of the Academy, students and novitiates:

As head of sciences, the duty of announcing a passing in our community, as they call it, naturally becomes mine, though I'd rather it belong to someone else. Being a herald of death is an office no one should ever look forward to, but never mind that now. I am asked to do it, and so I will and have it over.

The greatest cosmologist, and perhaps one of the greatest...