Eddie Redmayne is learning about much more than the beguiling life of Stephen Hawking, whom he plays in the recently released biopic Theory of Everything.
At Intel Labs here, the Tony-winning actor is on hands and knees to get a better look at a specially tailored communications system for Hawking, who has a motor neuron disease (MND) related to ALS that has worsened over the years, rendering him nearly paralyzed.
The new system — called ACAT (Assistive Context Aware Toolkit), created by a team that includes scientist Lama Nachman — was announced Tuesday by Intel. Its goal: To help millions like Hawking more easily communicate.
"Absolutely extraordinary," says Redmayne, whom audiences may remember as the earnest movie set assistant in My Week with Marilyn. "It is the best possible use of technology that professor Hawking uses. These people (pointing to Intel scientists) are among the most interesting I've ever met."
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