Stephen Hawking has been chosen to give the Reith Lectures this year to unravel the complexities of black holes. The lectures, which will be broadcast in the autumn, were announced as part of a new season of BBC Radio 4 programmes that will also include Glenda Jackson’s first acting role for 20 years and Miles Jupp’s appearance to replace Sandi Toksvig as host of The News Quiz.
Professor Hawking said that he wished to convey the “thrill of science”. “I will describe the remarkable properties of black holes, including the fact that very small black holes aren’t black at all, but glow like hot bodies,” he said. He added that he hoped his lecture would “enthuse a new generation to develop ideas that will