Photo: NASA/Paul E. Alers, public domain (2008)
The useless fact
What job do Isaac Newton, Stephen Hawking and Lieutenant Commander Data have in common?
Answer: Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge.
Why It’s True
The Lucasian Chair was founded in 1663. Cambridge lists Newton in the post from 1669 to 1702 and Hawking from 1979 until he retired from it on September 30, 2009, as the university's statutes require. In the TNG finale "All Good Things…" (1994), a future Data holds the chair too, a nod StarTrek.com highlighted after Hawking's death. Hawking had already played poker with simulations of Newton and Data on the holodeck.
- Founded: 1663
- Newton: 1669-1702
- Hawking: 1979-2009
- Data: a possible future, "All Good Things…" (1994)
Spoiler note: Mentions a future-timeline detail from the TNG series finale.
Sources
- Category
- Nerd Culture
- Also in
- TV Facts
- Decade
- 1990s
- Franchise
- Star Trek
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Published
- October 31, 2026
- Updated
- Fact-checked October 31, 2026
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