剑桥物理学家迈克·格林（Michael Green）首度提出宇宙万物都是由一段段震动的微小能量弦构成，他即将取代史蒂芬·霍金，获得在全世界享有最高声望的学术职位。

迈克·格林教授是英国皇家学会成员，也是极为错综复杂的弦理论的共同创立者之一；在本月剑桥大学召开会议后，他获邀就任卢卡斯数学教授（Lucasian professor of mathematics）。

霍金于本月初从这个职位卸任，因为剑桥大学规定，被授予该职位的教授必须在年满67岁时退任。霍金在这个职位上已经有30年。他现在是剑桥大学应用数学以及理论物理系的研究主任。

此荣誉职位始于1664年，许多科学史上的显赫名人都担任过该职务，在霍金之前就有伊萨克·牛顿以及保罗·狄拉克。

格林和霍金在同一个系工作，他在弦理论的发展中扮演着重要的角色。弦理论研究的是宇宙中的各种粒子以及它们如何互相作用。

在官方发表声明之前，一位科学家说，让一位从弦理论创始之初就大力推动其发展的科学家获此殊荣，这次任命实至名归。

弦理论的支持者们相信，这个理论为人们了解自然界的各种力量开辟了道路，这些力包括电磁力、结合原子核的强力、控制某些放射作用的弱力、以及使我们站在地面或推动地球公转的引力。

早在发表《时间简史》而声名大噪之前，霍金就担任此职位了。在他担任卢卡斯教授时期，他不仅在《辛普森一家》以及《星际旅行：下一代》中客串亮相，还出现在伦敦一家叫做弦友（Stringfellows）的脱衣舞俱乐部里，于是，一家报纸以这样的标题报道了这件事情：《弦友理论》（Stringfellow theory）。

The next Stephen Hawking: string theory pioneer gets Cambridge post

Michael Green, one of the pioneers of string theory, takes prestigious role at University of Cambridge

A Cambridge physicist who pioneered the idea that everything in the universe is made up of tiny vibrating strings of energy is to succeed Stephen Hawking in the most prestigious academic post in the world.

Professor Michael Green, a fellow of the Royal Society and co-founder of the fiendishly complex idea of string theory, was offered the position of Lucasian professor of mathematics following a meeting at the university this month.

Hawking stepped down from the position at the beginning of the month in accordance with Cambridge rules that stipulate the post must be vacated when the incumbent reaches their 67th birthday. Hawking had been in the job for 30 years. He is now director of research at the university's department of applied mathematics and theoretical physics.

The chair was created in 1664 and has been occupied by some of the greatest names in the history of science, with Sir Isaac Newton and Paul Dirac among Hawking's predecessors.

Green, who works in the same department as Hawking, played a major role in developing a form of string theory that describes all of the different types of particles in the universe and how they interact with each other.

Ahead of the official announcement, one scientist said it was an excellent appointment for a physicist who had been a driving force for string theory from the start.

Advocates of string theory believe it paves the way to understanding all of nature's forces, including electromagnetism, the strong force that holds atomic nuclei together, the weak force that governs certain forms of radiation, and gravity that keeps our feet on the ground and the Earth in orbit around the Sun.

Hawking occupied the position long before he rose to fame on the back of his bestseller, A Brief History of Time. During his time as Lucasian professor, he made appearances in The Simpsons and Star Trek: The Next Generation, and also at the London lap dancing club, Stringfellows, a story covered by one newspaper under the headline: "Stringfellow theory".

（Source: Guardian.co.uk，英国使馆文化教育处提供）