They arrived armed with stories about a man and theories about the universe.They talked of a genius and friendship. And they celebrated a 60th birthday that some called "a miracle". During a week of parties and lectures, Cambridge University cosmologist Stephen Hawking was complimented by colleagues as an original thinker, cherished friend, and a strong-willed survivor who has lived for decades after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The disease is generally terminal within a few years. The birthday week celebration ended with cheers, laughter and a stirring rendition of "Happy Birthday" as 400 friends and colleagues, many from labs and college campuses around the world, gathered for one last set of lectures on "the future of theoretical physics and cosmology", topped off by a speech from Hawking.