A Brief History of Negligence?

You can experience the wonders of weightlessness riding the same kind of "Vomit Comet" that NASA uses for astronaut training with scientific legend Dr. Stephen Hawking. eBay is auctioning off this experience... the winner will join Hawking on a 90 minute flight during which you'll experience several periods of near or total weightlessness.

This, for me, raises two big questions.

First, does it make sense for someone in Hawking's physical state (he has ALS, better known as "Lou Gherig's disease and is confined to a wheelchair) to be careening around an airplane fuselage pulling zero Gs? I don't want to be one to limit someone's autonomy or quash a dream but just look at the promotional image at above! And we've all seen the archival footage of astronauts in training in their blue jumpsuits tumbling about, bumping off walls and generally having a grand 'ol time. But they have full control of their extremities which they can use to steer themselves and limit their movements.

Second, one has to wonder, (and I'm not trying to be funny about this) if his wheelchair will be making the trip too and what kind of added element of risk to him and to the winner does that pose? Does eBay assume the liability if you're injured by Hawking's wheelchair?

100% of the proceeds (bidding stood at $16,500 at time of writing) go to charity so I guess the risks to the participants are a small price to pay for the good that can be done. That is, unless this ends in litigation.