TVO the best opportunity to see historic Stephen Hawking presentation at
Perimeter Institute, June 20 at 8 pm EDT

    
    -  Viewers can also follow and contribute to an exclusive live blog with
       experts at www.tvo.org/hawking
    -  The Agenda with Steve Paikin measures Hawking's influence June 18
       at 8 pm
    

TORONTO, June 10 /CNW/ - The world's most famous living scientist, Stephen Hawking, will make a special presentation from Canada's Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Ontario on Sunday June 20 and TVO is the best place to be a part of the event with a special broadcast and live blog.

As the official broadcaster of the historic event, TVO presents Hawking at the Perimeter beginning at 8 pm. It will include official welcome ceremonies with Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and federal Industry Minister Tony Clement. Then, following an introduction on how science can shape our world, Professor Hawking will share numerous insights from his own research, life and times. A short documentary will also be included in the 90-minute program and will show Professor Hawking and other scientists go about their work at Perimeter Institute.

TVO's Andrew Moodie (Big Ideas) will host the broadcast and there will be an encore viewing opportunity later the same night at 12:30 am. TVO will also air one-hour versions of Hawking at the Perimeter on Saturday June 26 at 6 pm EDT, Sunday June 27 at 5 pm EDT, and Tuesday July 6 at 10 pm EDT.

Viewers can join a live blog conversation online at www.tvo.org/hawking beginning at 8 pm on June 20, when two scientists will be available to provide depth, context, and answer viewer's questions. The guest experts are Rupinder Brar, professor in the faculty of science at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology and winner of TVO's 2010 Best Lecturer Competition; and Dr. Damian Pope, Senior Manager of Scientific Outreach at Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.

This is Professor Hawking's first visit to Perimeter Institute, where he holds a Distinguished Research Chair. He is scheduled to visit regularly for extended periods to conduct research and collaborate with the other leading physicists at PI.

Immediately following Hawking at the Institute, at approximately 9:30 pm, TVO presents a special encore of the award-winning The Quantum Tamers: Revealing Our Weird and Wired Future. Shot in 16 cities in six countries, The Quantum Tamers brings together over a dozen of the planet's brightest minds, including Professor Hawking, to show how a new era of quantum technologies is going to rock your world.

    
    The Agenda with Steve Paikin: Steven Hawking at PI
    June 18 at 8 pm and 11 pm
    

As prelude to Stephen Hawking's presentation at Perimeter Institute on Sunday June 20, TVO's flagship current affairs program, The Agenda with Steve Paikin, will welcome leading scientists the Friday before to debate the impact Professor Hawking has had on the world of science.

Steve Paikin's guests include Neil Turok, Director of Perimeter Institute; Janna Levin, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Barnard College; Lawrence Krauss, Foundation Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University; Raymond LaFlamme, Director of the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo and Associate Faculty Member at Perimeter Institute; Lee Smolin, theoretical physicist and Faculty Member at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, and Marcelo Gleiser, professor of natural history at Dartmouth College.

Where to find TVO: Cable channel 2 (channel may vary in some areas), Bell TV channel 265, Shaw Direct channel 353.

About TVO

TVO is Ontario's public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. TVO's vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. For more information, visit tvo.org.

About Perimeter Institute

Canada's Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics is an independent, non-profit, scientific research and educational outreach organization. In partnership with the Governments of Ontario and Canada, PI continues to be a successful example of private and public collaboration in science research and education. www.perimeterinstitute.ca

For further information: Media contact: Paul Ginis, TVO Marketing & Communications, 416-484-2600 x2445, [email protected]; Lisa Lambert, Communications Coordinator, Perimeter Institute, 519-569-7600 x5051, [email protected]