Thank you. Absolutely, I would be happy to do that.
The Perimeter Institute has been able, through its reputation and the decade leading up to it of building that reputation with leading physicists and others around the world, to actually have attracted quite arguably the brightest person on our planet—today's equivalent of Albert Einstein. Stephen Hawking is known the world over. He is respected everywhere. He is somewhat in ill health. For him to have chosen the Perimeter Institute in Canada as his second home for research and to have visited there to help give lectures and help train the future scientific leaders of this nation is somewhat...it's very difficult to describe.
I did meet with Dr. Hawking. It was the highlight of my life. The Prime Minister has met with him.
This is indeed a huge, huge win for our scientific community in Canada. I'm not sure there would be another person on our planet currently who could bring the level of prestige to this institute that Dr. Hawking has, and of course naming a new part of the Perimeter Institute after Stephen Hawking.... I wish I could remember Dr. Hawking's quote on the issue, but it will live long past his theories, which have improved the lives of every one of us.
This is immeasurable. I will say only that I think every scientist would say that they know Stephen Hawking, and they would say, “That is a major coup and a great win for Canada.” It speaks to our successful building of our reputation in the field of science and technology.