Stephen Hawking Warns Us, "Abandon The Earth" - But Beware of Contacting Aliens
Stephen Hawking, famed astrophysicist and author of "A Brief History of Time," warned that humanity's long-term survival depends on our doing one thing. We must abandon the Earth. But Stephen Hawking also said contact with aliens could get us killed.
Why Does Stephen Hawking Say To Abandon the Earth?
Hawking said that global warming, the threat of nuclear annihilation, and man's overall greed are the biggest threats we face as a species. He explained that the human race must learn to live in space and move to outer space if we are to survive.
Stephen Hawking's call for us to live in outer space seems couched in scare tactics, but he insists he's an optimist. "If we can avoid disaster for the next two centuries, our species should be safe, as we spread into space," Hawking said.
Why Does Stephen Hawking Say Contact with Aliens Could Get us Killed?
On an April broadcast of "Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking," he warned that "contact with aliens could get us killed." His argument, according to the New York Daily News, was, "We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet."
So Why Does Stephen Hawking Still Say We Should Live in Space?
Stephen Hawking said that as long as we are the only intelligent life in this galaxy, we should be fine living in outer space. But it needs to happen soon. Optimism aside, Hawking warned, "It will be difficult to avoid disaster in the next hundred years, let alone the next thousand or million."
Stephen Hawking also said that while contact with aliens could get us killed, we're not likely to find many intelligent alien species. We're more likely to find alien microbes or animals. Of course, "War of the Worlds" should be kept in mind when dealing with alien microbes. The aliens who tried to kill us off died from the common cold.
Is Stephen Hawking's Call to Abandon the Earth Possible Now?
Katherine Freese, who is an astrophysicist with the University of Michigan, was quoted by the London Telegraph as saying the next closest star to Earth is Proxima Centauri, 4.2 light years away.
If we take Stephen Hawking's warning to abandon the Earth seriously enough to stage a mission to Proxima Centauri to find a livable planet, with current rocket technology, it will take us 50,000 years to get there.
Stephen Hawking's call to abandon the Earth shouldn't depend on interstellar travel. Until we develop the means to make a trip between stars shorter than the age of some civilizations, Hawking's call to live in space will be more easily served by building space stations and moon colonies.
But Should We Listen to Stephen Hawking?
It's not that Stephen Hawking is one of those people who is so smart he's always right. There's no such thing. But Stephen Hawking rarely gets this adamant unless he's sure. Also, he's not the only person who's called for humanity to abandon the earth and live in space over the years.
Stephen Hawking's warnings about the threat of human extinction are obvious to most people. We are our worst enemy. Even Pogo had that right when he said, "We have met the enemy and he is us."
Of course, Stephen Hawking's call to abandon the Earth leaves us carrying our own worst enemy into space. Those calls to get along we've heard and made over the years may be even more vital now than ever.
