The funny side of Stephen Hawking
There’s no rule that says a guy who spends his days formulating equations to explain black holes, unified field theory, and other mind-bending mysteries of the universe can’t also be a cutup. Still, it was always surprising when physicist Stephen Hawking showed up on TV and cracked a joke.
Hawking was perhaps the most famous scientist in the world when he died on March 14, 2018 at age 76. His 1988 book, A Brief History of Time, sold 10 million copies and made him an unlikely superstar even to people who sweated through high school science.
But humour was always a big part of Hawking’s effort to bring physics to the masses. In his 2010 book, The Grand Design, for instance, he recounts how, in 1277, the Catholic Church declared scientific laws such as gravity to be heretical, since they seemed to diminish God’s omnipotence. “Interestingly,” the text adds puckishly, “Pope John [XXI] was killed by the effects of the law of gravity a few months later when the roof of his palace fell in on him.”
Leonard Mlodinow, Hawking’s co-author on The Grand Design, points out that physics and humour are more closely related than you’d expect. “Humour often relies on looking at things in different ways or making odd or unexpected associations,” says Mlodinow, who has just published a new book, Elastic: Flexible Thinking in a Time of Change. “In physics, the same thing happens.”
In a sense, the element of the unexpected was Hawking’s secret humour weapon. It wasn’t only the absurdity of an egghead scientist shouting, “If you are looking for trouble, you found it!” before punching a guy, which an animated Hawking did on The Simpsons. It was also that Hawking kept smiling even though he spent more than 50 years in a wheelchair.
He was only 21 when he was diagnosed with the degenerative motor neuron disease ALS. For most people, the condition would have been a calamity. But Hawking rolled over adversity as if it were just a pebble under his wheelchair. “Life would be tragic,” he once said, “if it weren’t funny.” (Find out the real reason why Hawking outlived his ALS diagnosis by 55 years.)
And so he cracked jokes. There was the time when talk show host John Oliver asked him about parallel universes. “Does that mean there is a universe out there where I am smarter than you?” Oliver quipped. Hawking’s dry reply (made all the funnier by the affectless timbre of his computer-generated voice): “Yes. And also a universe where you’re funny.”
Hawking liked physical humour too. He reportedly enjoyed wheeling his chair over the feet of people who annoyed him, including Prince Charles. “A malicious rumour,” Hawking said. “I’ll run over anyone who repeats it.”
“He loved adventure and fun,” says Mlodinow, who once took Hawking on a punt-boat trip down the river Cam in Cambridge, England, despite the obvious danger of the boat capsizing. “You know about when he went on the vomit comet? It’s a plane that flies in a parabolic path so you are weightless, like you are in space. A lot of people barf, but he loved that sort of thing.” And he was 65 at the time.
Hawking’s greatest hit, humour-wise, was probably the cocktail party he threw in 2009. It was a “welcome reception for future time travellers,” he said, so naturally, he sent out the invitations the day after the party. No one showed up—yet. “Maybe one day someone living in the future will find the information and use a wormhole time machine to come back to my party, proving that time travel will one day be possible,” Hawking explained. And if that happens, don’t be surprised if Hawking is there too. After all, he never missed a chance to have fun.
Next, read these Stephen Hawking quotes that will lead you to the meaning of life.
Who has the biggest soft spot for Meghan Markle?
We know that Princes William and Harry have always been close—they served as best man in each other’s weddings, after all. The same holds true for the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, and her sister, Pippa. But for new royal family member Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, whom does she have to confide in? (Don’t miss the real story of how Prince Harry and Meghan Markle met.)
Queen Elizabeth has treated Markle well, inviting her to spend Christmas with the royal family before Markle married Harry. But it looks like Markle and her father-in-law Prince Charles have been warming up nicely, too—especially after he took on the fatherly role of walking her down the aisle when her own father was absent. (Here are 15 facts you didn’t know about past royal weddings.)
For almost a week during the summer after Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding, the two stayed with Prince Charles at the Castle of Mey, reports Vanity Fair. Not even Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall and wife of Prince Charles, has stayed at the estate for that long, a source told Vanity Fair. Another family member told Vanity Fair that Charles has a “lovely relationship with the duchess,” and of course his own son.
The family member said the three royals spent their time at the Castle of Mey reading, walking dogs and chatting. The source said Charles has “a real soft spot for [Markle] and thinks she’s the best thing to have happened to Harry.”
Next, find out the unlikely friendships royal family members have with other celebrities.
The truth about Prince Harry’s bracelet
Prince Harry has changed a lot over the years. The world has watched him grow from adorable redheaded toddler to rebellious royal bad boy to the charmingly handsome Duke of Sussex. One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is his fondness for bracelets.
In particular, he has been seen wearing the same silver-and-black metal bracelet on his right wrist for the last 20 or so years—for a very special reason. It’s believed to be a tribute to his late mother, Princess Diana. (Find out how the Prince coped with his mother’s death.)
Shortly after Princess Diana’s tragic car accident and death in 1997, Prince Charles took the 12-year-old and his brother Prince William to Africa in an effort to find refuge from the pain. “My dad told my brother and me to pack our bags—we were going to Africa to get away from it all,” he told Town and Country in 2017. Prince Harry reportedly bought the oft-seen bracelet on that trip; Prince William reportedly made a similar purchase. (These were Princess Diana’s last words before she died.)
Since then, he has been photographed wearing it at all sorts of occasions, from rugby matches to royal events. He wore it during his first public outing with Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex, in 2017, and it was even part of his wedding day attire. If the accessory truly is a tribute to his mother, it proves that Diana is still very much with him, especially for the most important moments in his life.
Next, check out the real story of how Prince Harry and Meghan Markle met.
Why do cats knead?
Making biscuits, kneading dough, marching—whatever you call it, kneading is a weird cat quirk. They look like they’re in a trance as they lift one paw, then the other, again and again on a soft surface. But why do cats knead at all?
First off, not all cats knead, and they don’t all knead in the same way. Most cats only use their front paws, but some use all four; some kitties bring their claws out, and others don’t. A cat kneading at your lap might hurt, but your kitty doesn’t have any bad intentions.
Even when they’re too young for their eyes to open, kittens need to knead, says Katy Nelson, DVM, Virginia-based veterinarian and Freshpet ambassador. Nursing kitties push around when suckling to get their mother’s glands to release more milk, she says. No one is totally sure why the habit lasts through adulthood, but there are a few theories to answer the question of why do cats knead.
For one thing, because felines grow up associating kneading with the comfort of Mama Cat and her milk, the habit might be soothing. They don’t think about food when they do it anymore, but it’s just plain relaxing, as evidenced by the mad purrs you might hear while they do it. “Like a kid sucking a thumb, it’s a calming thing,” says Dr. Nelson. “A lot of cats have their eyes closed and look like they’re completely zenned out.” (Find out why cats are afraid of cucumbers.)
Another theory is that cats knead to mark their territory. Cats have scent glands in two places: their faces and paws. When felines rub their faces against the furniture or go to town on a scratching post, they’re leaving their scent—and same goes for kneading. Paws are the only places where cats sweat, which means rubbing them against something leaves that smell, says Dr. Nelson.
Others think kneading might span back to housecats’ ancestors. Wild cats didn’t have the soft blanket that your domestic kitty might love, so they had to make the ground as comfy as possible, says Dr. Nelson. Pushing at the grass might have helped soften it up to “get their bed just right,” she says. (Check out these reasons why cats are so clean.)
If you’re a cat owner, you may not be wondering “Why do cats knead?” so much as “How can I get my cat to stop kneading?” Innocent as the habit is, it’s easy to get annoyed when your kneading cat digs its claws into your lap or furniture. However, kneading makes cats happy, says Dr. Nelson, so you should never stop your pet from doing its thing; just keep its claws short. “Keep the nails trimmed so it’s not painful, and not messing up your blanket or your couch,” she says.
Don’t miss these 10 warning signs of cancer in cats that every owner should know.
In conversation with actor and comedian Dan Levy
You’re already the star and showrunner of the hit comedy Schitt’s Creek. What made you decide to also get involved with a baking series?
I was binge-watching The Great British Baking Show and tweeted that if it ever came to Canada, I’d love to host it. I went to sleep and woke up to a million responses saying it is coming here and I should do it. Then I got the call from CBC asking, “Are you serious?”
Why do you think food reality shows are so popular?
People like the positivity. It’s a show about trying to improve yourself—the competition is between the baker and their oven. And it’s suspenseful! You might think, How much suspense can you have in a show about baking? But there is high anxiety in finding out if the bottom of your pie has baked all the way through.
How would you rate your kitchen skills today versus before you started the show?
I had no skills going into this, and I continue to have no skills. I have no desire to actually bake. I’m in this to eat the food.
Your first role on TV was as co-host of The Hills: The After Show, where you recapped the antics of a clique of L.A. rich girls. What did you gain from that experience?
I definitely learned to be comfortable being myself in front of a camera, which is more challenging than you might guess. I’d like to think the machine is well oiled at this point.
Who are bigger drama queens: American party girls or Canadian home cooks?
I would say equal drama, but I prefer this drama. It’s a lot safer.
Schitt’s Creek will air its fifth season in the new year. Why do you think it continues to pick up steam?
Getting on Netflix a few years ago was a big win. Also, there’s this dark political cloud hanging over us right now, and Schitt’s Creek is 21 minutes of joy. The response we got when it first aired was, “It’s really funny. We like it.” But with Trump, it’s, “We need it.”
Your character David is pansexual. Why was that important to you?
Even in 2018 I don’t get to see a lot of stories on TV about queer people, and what I do see is like an after-school special. To have a queer character on our show who’s just living his life, embraced by family and friends and community, and it’s not a big thing or a big lesson—I think that’s more powerful.
Schitt’s Creek also stars your dad, Eugene Levy. What have you learned from him about comedy?
So many things. Doing the show with my dad and Catherine O’Hara has been a master class. The lesson that really sticks is the idea that great comedy comes from something truthful. Characters can be outrageous, but they also have to be rooted in real human emotion. That’s the connective tissue. People love to laugh, and a lot of what they’re laughing at is seeing themselves reflected back at them.
The second season of The Great Canadian Baking Show premieres September 19.
Here are 22 Canadian comedians to watch out for—and their best jokes.
How clean/dirty is your car?
Have you ever noticed that with some friends, when they offer you a ride and you get in their car, the first thing they say is “Sorry about the mess,” even if the car’s interior is so antiseptic you could perform surgery in there? On the other hand, I’ve been in cars that more closely resemble the inside of a hamper than a vehicle—and the owner doesn’t seem to notice.
Maybe it’s because I grew up in Detroit, but I believe that the condition of your vehicle says something about you. Is your car the mobile counterpart of the kitchen junk drawer, an area designated for chaos, a place to speed away from responsibility? Or is it a sanctuary from the chaos of your home, your job, your family, a self-contained space where order is easily attained and maintained? After all, cars are all about escape, starting with that first solo drive out of your parents’ driveway and into the world. So I recently asked my Facebook friends: Is the inside of your car clean and tidy, or is it a disaster area? Here are some of the more telling examples from my personality driving test:
- I have four dogs, one of whom is chronically carsick. You really wouldn’t want to get into my car. Unless you’re a dog.
- I keep a duster in the door pocket and use it at lights. And I shake out my floor mats once a week. There’s nothing wrong with that. There ISN’T.
- I divide people into those who brush off my passenger seat and hop right in and those who grimace, then get in with a look of determination and pity.
- I always carry lots of bottled water, just in case I break down in a desert. Even though I live in Philadelphia. (Here are eight things you must check on your car before your next road trip.)
- If I ever disappear due to foul play, the cops will easily be able to trace the last six months of my life from the junk on the floor of my car.
- My car is spotless. I just wish the rest of my life were this beautiful and well-ordered.
- I think of my car as my pocketbook on wheels. It contains everything I need for daily survival.
- Food wrappers. Books. Thermoses. Coffee cups. Sunglasses. Jackets. Blankets. Troll doll in a nurse uniform. Emergency apocalypse backpack. Flashlights. Hair ties. Reading glasses. Newspapers. Receipts. Grocery lists. Stuff for Goodwill …
- We call my husband’s car Meals on Wheels because he has stashed so much snack food in it.
- Last week, I found a squirrel in my car.
- I’m a teacher, which means my car is full of school supplies. If times get tough, I’ll just sell pens, markers, and construction paper out of my trunk.
- My husband has stashed an ax under the driver’s seat of my car. Yes. An ax.
Next, find out why you should never, ever follow a friend when you’re driving.
Roz Warren is a librarian, a writer, and the editor of the humour collection Our Bodies, Our Shelves.
Xavier Dolan on The Death and Life of John F. Donovan
Growing up in the suburbs of Montreal in the late 1990s, director Xavier Dolan was obsessed with television shows on The WB, and would even write letters to the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio. More than a decade later, he revisits those childhood moments of adoration for his latest film, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan.
Premiering at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, the film—Dolan’s seventh, and his first in English—sees the 29-year-old filmmaker examine the complex nature of fame and celebrity.
“Back then, I felt all I had were shows like Roswell, Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” said Dolan at Coffee with Creators, a TIFF 2018 roundtable hosted by RBC and Nespresso Canada at RBC House, and presented by Deadline. “That was the starting point for me [creatively]: the time of being very, very young and really losing yourself in shows.”
The film tells the story of John F. Donovan (Kit Harington), a famous star of both the big and small screen, who begins a five-year correspondence with 11-year-old fan Rupert Turner (Jacob Tremblay). Fast-forward to the present, Donovan has died alone following a series of scandals. Rupert becomes a successful actor in his own right, and publishes a memoir about their secret pen-pal relationship, which he hopes will set the record straight on various parts of Donovan’s life, including his closeted homosexuality.
“It was an interesting part to play because he’s a young star on a very popular show, and that isn’t far from me,” said Harington, best known for his role of Jon Snow in HBO’s Game of Thrones. “The story is about his private life, who he is alone when he’s not in front of a camera or with his wife or with his mother. What’s he like when he’s alone? And I don’t think he knows yet.”
Dolan is no stranger to being in the limelight, either: the former child actor wrote and directed his first film, I Killed My Mother, at the age of 19, while his 2016 feature, It’s Only the End of the World, won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival.
Like many of his films, John F. Donovan also addresses themes of sexuality.
“In the past few years, there have been a lot of actors and actresses coming out through social media, and I think that’s very brave,” said Dolan, who is openly gay. “But you can’t help but wonder… does it then reshape and redefine their careers and opportunities? I think so. And that’s a problem we also try to address in the film.”
“I think the movie is quite entertaining and sincere and a sort of tribute to the films I adored and worshipped as a kid—big commercial movies like Titanic and Jumanji,” he said. “I think TIFF is the right place for us to show it.”
Check out these famous TV cliffhangers that still get fans talking.
Salma Hayek on The Hummingbird Project
Before her op-ed on Harvey Weinstein ran in the New York Times last December, Salma Hayek thought twice about publishing it. What strengthened her resolve, however, was realizing its potential to inspire and empower women around the world. Nine months later, she hopes her character in The Hummingbird Project will prove inspiring too.
The latest film by Canadian director Kim Nguyen, which held its world premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, sees the Oscar-nominated actress play a feared female Wall Street executive—a character rarely seen on the silver screen.
“For most people, [my character] is unusual, and that’s what’s wrong,” said Hayek at Coffee with Creators, a TIFF 2018 roundtable hosted by RBC and Nespresso Canada at RBC House, and presented by Deadline. “It shouldn’t be unusual [to see a woman] boss people around, have a very specific vision of something and have the passion to accomplish it.” (This is why women make the best bosses, according to science.)
In The Hummingbird Project, Hayek plays Eva Torres, a ruthless Wall Street tycoon who sets her sights on Vincent and Anton Zalesky (Jesse Eisenberg and Alexander Skarsgård), two former employees. The cousins plan to build a 1,000 mile-long fibre optic tunnel from Kansas to New York that will give them a one-millisecond edge on transactions at the New York Stock Exchange.
“For me, the movie is about obsession,” Hayek said. “My character’s obsession is people who think they’re smarter than her. Her obsession is about owning them.”
Like the similarly-themed The Big Short and The Wolf of Wall Street, the film was inspired by true events. In the case of The Hummingbird Project, Nguyen researched real-life stories of engineers, high-frequency traders and quantum physics experts who were trying to strike it big on Wall Street. In the original script, Hayek’s character was written for a man. It was a narrative choice Nguyen admits didn’t work.
“We felt there was an imbalance in the vibe of the film, and we switched quickly to a female character as the boss of the enterprise,” he said. “All of the visual look of her character comes from [Hayek]; she was always five steps ahead of me in relation to the nature of Eva.”
This isn’t the first time Hayek has played against type. In the 2012 crime thriller Savages, she received widespread acclaim for her turn as a drug cartel leader, and in her Academy Award-nominated role in 2002’s Frida, she portrayed the titular Mexican painter renowned for her depiction of the feminine experience.
“[My casting] wasn’t, ‘Oh, we need to bring some diversity into this film,’ because now this is the new trend, like a social campaign,” she said. “It’s what was right for the character. For my entire life, I’ve been surrounded by these kinds of strong women.”
Next, check out the strongest female literary characters of all time.
These were James Dean’s last words
September 30 will mark 63 years since James Dean passed away in a tragic car accident. On that heartbreaking day, the well-known American actor was traveling up the coast to Salinas, California, to participate in a car race with his mechanic, Rolf Wütherich.
The two took a long two-lane highway in Dean’s Porsche Spyder to get to their destination. As they were approaching the junction with Highway 41, a car entering the intersection came too far into his lane, and they collided.
Dean suffered from severe internal injuries and a broken neck. Before the crash, Wütherich heard him say, “That guy’s gotta stop…He’ll see us.” Sadly, the driver of the other car—23-year-old student Donald Turnupseed—did not.
After his death, Dean was most remembered for his successful acting career and his passion for speed. Many assumed the crash was caused because he was speeding, but it was later discovered that he was driving safely. Don’t miss these 11 unanswered questions about Grace Kelly’s death.
James Dean was only 24 years old when he was killed, but he is remembered on screen for his iconic roles in East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, and Giant. Next, read the famous final words of 20 more iconic people.
Originally published as The Last Thing James Dean Said Before His Infamous Car Crash on RD.com.
Elle Fanning on Teen Spirit
Elle Fanning is no stranger to versatility. Since becoming an actress at the age of three, she’s starred in comedies, sci-fi horror mashups, arthouse films, period pieces and fairytale adaptations. With the new musical drama Teen Spirit, she can add a new skill to her acting arsenal: singing.
Premiering at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Special Presentations line-up, Teen Spirit finds the 20-year-old Fanning in her most challenging role yet.
“Normally, I don’t watch myself [during shooting], but with singing a song, I had to analyze my performance because there was so much technicality to it,” said Fanning at Coffee with Creators, a TIFF 2018 roundtable hosted by RBC and Nespresso Canada at RBC House, and presented by Deadline. “I heard all of my mistakes, which was actually really cool because I became very conscious that I was a growing performer.”
In the film, Fanning plays 17-year-old Violet, a gifted singer who lives with her Polish mother on a small farm on the Isle of Wight. When she’s not waiting tables, doing chores or attending high school, she dreams of pop stardom. Violet eventually strikes a friendship with a fading opera singer (Zlatko Burić), who convinces her to try out for an American Idol-esque competition after hearing her perform.
To prepare for the role, Fanning worked with Marius de Vries, an English composer who served as music producer on La La Land. Fanning performs five songs in the film where the vocals are live—each performance took 12 hours to shoot.
“I’ve always had a desire of being on stage one day singing a song,” Fanning said. “Honestly, I think everybody has that fantasy—even if you can’t sing.”
Teen Spirit is the directorial debut of actor Max Minghella, who currently stars as Nick Blaine on the Toronto-shot television series The Handmaid’s Tale. The film features music by Ariana Grande, Robyn, Ellie Goulding and Grimes. Grammy Award-winning producer Jack Antonoff, who has collaborated with Lorde and Taylor Swift, wrote an original song for the film’s soundtrack.
“In a musical, every song has to drive the narrative forward,” said Minghella. “In this film, people don’t suddenly burst into song, but they do sing every 10 minutes, so I was very careful to make sure each track had an emotional component.”
When asked if she wanted to record music in the future, Fanning said the door was open.
“I wouldn’t write it off,” she said. “Music is such a completely different world, and now that I’ve worked with Jack [Antonoff], I’ve gotten to put my toes in the water a little bit.”
