LONDON, Sept 21 — Stephen Hawking, the physicist whose motor neuron disease left him virtually unable to move, escapes his wheelchair when he dreams, according to an interview in the London-based Times today.

Hawking, 71, is always able-bodied in his dreams, the newspaper cited him as saying. The Cambridge University professor and best-selling author was diagnosed with the debilitating condition when he was 21. He lost the use of his hands and voice and communicates with a computerised voice.

International fame has affected his personal life, the newspaper cited him as saying. “I can’t disguise myself with a beard and dark glasses. The wheelchair gives me away.” — Bloomberg