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The discovery of the Nerja Cave in January 1959 completely changed the course of the eastern Costa del Sol town after it opened to the public just over a year later, in June 1960. It went from being an agricultural and fishing village to one of Spain's most popular tourist destinations for Spanish and foreign visitors alike.
Since then, more than 20 million people have visited the Nerja Cave, delighting in the impossible shapes of the limestone, carved over thousands of years by water erosion, as well as its valuable cave paintings, which date back more than 40,000 years.
Among the thousands of visitors to the cave last week was a winner of the Nobel prize for Physics and the Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research, the American theoretical physicist Kip Thorne.
Born in Utah in 1940, Thorne is a leading figure in gravitational physics and astrophysics, and is also recognised for his educational work and writing. He is one of the world's leading experts on the applications of Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity to astrophysics.
As a professor he has trained other leading scientists and from 1991 to 2009 he held the Feynman Professor Chair in Theoretical Physics at the California Institute of Technology. He has also been a writer and screenwriter on film projects, including Interstellar, directed by Christopher Nolan.
During his recent visit, Thorne was accompanied by his family and by Rosa López, professor at the University of Malaga (UMA) and board member of the Malaga Astronomy Society. The prestigious scientist said he was "amazed" by the immensity and beauty of the Nerja Cave.
"A stellar visit to the Nerja Cave, a privilege that such a brilliant mind has visited it! Thank you for your visit, Professor Thorne," said the Nerja Cave Foundation in a statement.
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