Stephen Hawking: mankind must move to outer space within a century

The renowned astrophysicist said he fears mankind is in great danger and its future "must be in space" if it is to survive.

In an interview he said threats to the existence of the human race such as war, resource depletion and overpopulation meant it was at its greater risk ever.

Although a long advocate of colonising space in order to continue man's reign, this is his direst warning to date.

"It will be difficult enough to avoid disaster in the next hundred years, let alone the next thousand or million," he told the website Big Think.

"Our only chance of long-term survival is not to remain inward looking on planet Earth but to spread out into space.

"We have made remarkable progress in the last hundred years. But if we want to continue beyond the next hundred years, our future is in space.

"That is why I'm in favour of manned, or should I say 'personed', space flight."

Earlier this year Professor Hawking warned that exploring space may not be entirely without risk.

In a series for the Discovery Channel, he said humans should be wary about making contact with alien life forms as they may not be friendly.

But he said as long as we remained the only intelligent life in our galaxy and avoided destroying ourselves we should be safe.

"I see great dangers for the human race," Hawking said. "There have been a number of times in the past when its survival has been a question of touch and go. The Cuban missile crisis in 1963 was one of these. The frequency of such occasions is likely to increase in the future."

"But I'm an optimist. If we can avoid disaster for the next two centuries, our species should be safe, as we spread into space," he said.

Getting to another planet will prove a challenge, not to mention colonising it for humanity.

Katherine Freese, a University of Michigan astrophysicist, told Big Think that "the nearest star [to Earth] is Proxima Centauri which is 4.2 light years away.

That means that, if you were travelling at the speed of light the whole time, it would take 4.2 years to get there" – or about 50,000 years using current rocket science.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/7935505/Stephen-Hawking-mankind-must-move-to-outer-space-within-a-century.html

He just wants the possibility of living through his sci fi fantasies in his lifetime.

That was one of the stupidest things I've read in a while.

I hardly doubt if we will find another planet as earth out there

isnt there a mars trip for 2012? We are gonna start to set up a base there or something? Anyway, I dont think it would have to be in 100 years but, this man is pretty much a super computer so, i trust him. He really should get some new voices for his "voice box" tho, something that makes him sound like a big bodybuilder.

I agree with manned missions because it isn't as expensive as people think. I forget which physicist I was listening to but he attributed astronauts to being the celebrities of science for good motivation and inspiration. I tend to agree.

I also agree with if we can get past the next couple of hundred years we will survive for a long time afterward.

Ok, he can go first. Good luck using your super-wheel-chair up there!

Stephen Hawking is at least slightly insane. He has said that if aliens visit Earth, they will take over, like the Europeans have done in the past, as if he knows for a fact that these aliens behave exactly like humans.

I hardly doubt if we will find another planet as earth out there

TehFuneral

ill probably be dead in a century and he definitely will be. Lets just launch this guy to the moon.xbox360isgr8t

[QUOTE="TehFuneral"]

I hardly doubt if we will find another planet as earth out there

Human-after-all

reading those quotes in Steven Hawking's voice is awesome. JPOBS

[QUOTE="xbox360isgr8t"]ill probably be dead in a century and he definitely will be. Lets just launch this guy to the moon.Pirate700

[QUOTE="Human-after-all"][QUOTE="TehFuneral"]

I hardly doubt if we will find another planet as earth out there

clyde46

he is crazy fo sho

Stephen Hawking is at least slightly insane. He has said that if aliens visit Earth, they will take over, like the Europeans have done in the past, as if he knows for a fact that these aliens behave exactly like humans.

harashawn

All it takes is a couple of geniuses to make it happen.

Stephen Hawking is at least slightly insane. He has said that if aliens visit Earth, they will take over, like the Europeans have done in the past, as if he knows for a fact that these aliens behave exactly like humans.

harashawn

reading those quotes in Steven Hawking's voice is awesome. JPOBS

lol, I did the same thing:lol:

[QUOTE="JPOBS"]reading those quotes in Steven Hawking's voice is awesome. kittensRjerks

lol, I did the same thing:lol:

Sorry Mr. Hawking, I'm afraid that won't happen until it's too late. We're busy tighten our country border, shoving our religion eachother, fueling our greed, making money as much as possible, polish our power, protecting reputation and ridicule at other races.

An international space research organization consists of various researchers around the world needed then again there are trouble with funding and researchers to argue with their ego instead of cooperating eachother.

[QUOTE="harashawn"]

Stephen Hawking is at least slightly insane. He has said that if aliens visit Earth, they will take over, like the Europeans have done in the past, as if he knows for a fact that these aliens behave exactly like humans.

kipohippo021

It's not a matter of can we colonize another planet, it's a matter of finding a planet that can be colonized. Try finding a single black grain of sand in white sand beach. And living in space is out of the question, since the human body is not built to survive in a vacuum, or zero gravity environment.

I tend to agree we as a race need to put more resources into space colonisation. Resources will run out and War will happen again. Im not sure about his time frame but hell he has the right idea. Either that or mass population control.

reading those quotes in Steven Hawking's voice is awesome. JPOBS

[QUOTE="kipohippo021"]

[QUOTE="harashawn"]

Stephen Hawking is at least slightly insane. He has said that if aliens visit Earth, they will take over, like the Europeans have done in the past, as if he knows for a fact that these aliens behave exactly like humans.

harashawn

It's not a matter of can we colonize another planet, it's a matter of finding a planet that can be colonized. Try finding a single black grain of sand in white sand beach. And living in space is out of the question, since the human body is not built to survive in a vacuum, or zero gravity environment.

I don't think we'll have used up all of earth's fossil fuels within a century, and even if we had, I would assume we would already have an alternative source for energy. The concept of nuclear warheads is legitimate though IMO.

i foresee mankind traveling into outer space for vacationing purposes, but not for colonising. it's just too far fetched to imagine, but i hope i'm wrong. the regular joe will not be able to afford such extravagances.

I no longer regard his comments highly after the screw up he created, the Hawking Paradox, and how he got owned by Susskind.

Maybe he should start by going to the moon and staying there.

The guy is always over dramatic, but I'd agree we need to move. Not in 100 years, but probably closer too 300.

That was one of the stupidest things I've read in a while.

Pirate700

[QUOTE="xbox360isgr8t"]ill probably be dead in a century and he definitely will be. Lets just launch this guy to the moon.Pirate700

I agree that the survival of our species will depend on us leaving this planet eventually. And who's to say where will be in a hundred years. It'll be just like Star Trek hopefully :).

If he's so smart, why can't he walk. wstfld

That was one of the stupidest things I've read in a while.

Pirate700

He's probably right, but I'm not sure about the 100 years part.

But yeah...chances are, we only have a very short period of time before space travel is no longer possible. Civilizations rise and fall, and right now we're probably on one of the peaks. That's not going to last forever. And once this brief period of rapid technological progress is over, we're not going to have the means or the ability to go zooming around in space.

If we want to colonise other planets, it'd better happen damn soon if it's going to happen at all. And unfortunately, we aren't anywhere close to being able to do it now. Sorry to let anyone down, but in all likelihood we're stuck on this rock.

He's probably right, but I'm not sure about the 100 years part.

But yeah...chances are, we only have a very short period of time before space travel is no longer possible. Civilizations rise and fall, and right now we're probably on one of the peaks. That's not going to last forever. And once this brief period of rapid technological progress is over, we're not going to have the means or the ability to go zooming around in space.

If we want to colonise other planets, it'd better happen damn soon if it's going to happen at all. And unfortunately, we aren't anywhere close to being able to do it now. Sorry to let anyone down, but in all likelihood we're stuck on this rock.

MrGeezer

Reality sucks.

I love how people are calling him dumb. Please enlighten me to what has anyone on this forum even done to his scale or more to the point; who even understand his theories. I hope if this ever becomes true people like your goodselfs are left behind 8)

▲ Technology is not yet advanced enough for us to live in space or find another planet. ▲

[QUOTE="xbox360isgr8t"]ill probably be dead in a century and he definitely will be. Lets just launch this guy to the moon.Pirate700

:lol:

Imagine him yelling in his voice

is that the funny looking dude in the wheel chair?

This guy isn't even going to be alive. Hell, most of us won't. Why should I care? Please don't say my kids or my kids kids, because if you're dead, you aren't worrying about any of that crap.metallica_fan42

I agree with Hawkings, the human race is doomed unless we do something about it