Did Stephen Hawking Believe That Time Travel Was Possible?

Speculation about time travel has been a sci-fi trope for ages, but even some of the world's most respected scientists have felt the pull of the impossible. Take the late Stephen Hawking, the famed theoretical physicist and author of works such as A Brief History of Time. In 2009, Hawking carried out his own experiment on time travel by sending out invitations to a time traveler party -- but only after the event was already over. He figured that if time travelers from the future saw his invite, they could travel back in time for the bash. Sadly, the party was a flop, with only Hawking and some bottles of champagne in attendance. Still, Hawking held out hope, saying that perhaps the invitations might eventually find their way into capable hands.

A brief history of Stephen Hawking:

• In a 1993 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Hawking plays poker with Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton and mocks Newton for the apple-on-the-head story.
• Hawking called his debilitating disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) a blessing in disguise: "I was forced to travel through the universe in my mind."
• In early childhood, Hawking was an average student, and he didn't learn how to read until he was 8 years old.