Stephen Hawking, the famed theoretical physicist diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, lost the ability to speak thirty years ago. In the meantime, a computerized voice generated by an infrared sensor inside Hawking’s mouth has allowed him to communicate. According to a recent report, however, the muscles controlling the device have been deteriorating, limiting him to as little as one word per minute. Without a new means of communication, Hawking runs the risk of being rendered mute. This is a horrifying prospect for the scientific community that has benefitted greatly from his findings. But a new device recording brain functions at an unprecedented level of detail was developed and has been proposed to improve Hawking’s ability to communicate once again.