You may expect some time travelers at Stephen Hawking’s memorial service

An online ballot to attend Stephen Hawking’s memorial service opened Saturday, allowing the time travelers to apply.

After a lifetime exploring the mysteries of black holes, the origins of the universe, and the nature of time itself, the renowned scientist died on March 14 at the age of 76. His ashes will forever be interred alongside the graves of Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.

TIME TRAVELERS ARE ALSO INVITED

Anyone over 12 can sign up for the event, but only 1,000 will be selected. To complete the registration, one must include their birthday, which can be any day up to December 31, 2038.

The quirk that allows people born more than 20 years into the future to apply was noticed by London travel blogger IanVisits.

“Professor Hawking once threw a party for time travellers, to see if any would turn up if he posted the invite after the party,” he wrote in his site. “None did, but it seems perfect that the memorial website allows people born in the future to attend the service. Look out for time travellers at the Abbey.”

IS TIME TRAVEL POSSIBLE?

At the Seattle Science Festival in 2012, Hawking claimed to have the experimental evidence that time travel isn’t possible. “I gave a party for time-travelers, but I didn’t send out the invitations until after the party. I sat there a long time, but no one came,” he said.

We are not sure if it’s another time travel experiment, or simply a programming error. It could also be a digital technical problem known as “The Year 2038 Problem.” Whether the time travel is possible or not, it would be better for the travelers from future to stay at home as it could “trigger a bolt of radiation that would destroy the spaceship,” warned Hawking.

The ceremony will take place on June 15, 2018. After the service, Westminster Abbey will be open to the public, so they can pay their respects at his grave.

Originally published at thetechnews.com on May 13, 2018.