James PATTERSON discuss cognitive neuroscience, artificial intelligence, systems of J encryption and decryption, and other topics. Epstein had been hosting get-togethers like this for years. } Toward the end of Chief Reiter’s investigation, in March of 2006, . Epstein had hosted twenty top physicists — including three Nobel Prize winners as well as the celebrity physicist Stephen Hawking — } at a Saint Thomas symposium called “Confronting Gravity,” y which was advertised as “a workshop to explore fundamental =~ 4 questions in physics and cosmology.” z 3 “This is a remarkable group,” one of the Nobel Prize winners -_ told a reporter for the St. Thomas Source. a g “There is no agenda except fun and physics, and that’s fun : 4 with a capital F,” Epstein said. 4 Al Seckel: Janua ry 201: Epstein had been especially interested in Stephen Hawking, Someday, Hawking had theorized, the universe would stop a 4 expanding and collapse, at which point time would begin to run Fe q pstein’s partner in the backwards. Hawking believed ue ae viruses were a 3 j q } Al Seeded was dara things. He thought that given the size of the universe, alien life i . forms existed. He did not believe in God. But he had a vast appre- 4 © cian — wa eve iin ciation for the inner workings of the universe, and this is why g q founder Elon Mu 2, ae Epstein gave Hawking a tremendous gift. He paid to have a sub- | Epstei marine modified so that it could fit Hawking and his wheelchair : ie, ole and give the scientist his first glimpse of an actual alien world— 4 q In certain Los Angeles ci the one that lies under the waves of the ocean. q to know. But, like Jeffrey Eps It was one of the most romantic, generous gestures that Jef | According to Mark Oppenhe frey Epstein had ever made. | "and followed his career for fi j ; by selling rare books and pz q academic connections. 4 ] “A number of these trans. 3 awsuits,” Oppenheimer wor 232 4 E a } HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_022039