Hawking says humans must go into space

[GrumpyBigBee]

By SYLVIA HUI, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 38 minutes ago


HONG KONG - The survival of the human race depends on its ability to find new homes elsewhere in the universe because there's an increasing risk that a disaster will destroy the Earth, world-renowned scientist Stephen Hawking said Tuesday.

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The British astrophysicist told a news conference in Hong Kong that humans could have a permanent base on the moon in 20 years and a colony on Mars in the next 40 years.

"We won't find anywhere as nice as Earth unless we go to another star system," added Hawking, who arrived to a rock star's welcome Monday. Tickets for his lecture planned for Wednesday were sold out.

He added that if humans can avoid killing themselves in the next 100 years, they should have space settlements that can continue without support from Earth.

"It is important for the human race to spread out into space for the survival of the species," Hawking said. "Life on Earth is at the ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as sudden global warming, nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus or other dangers we have not yet thought of."

The 64-year-old scientist — author of the global best seller "A Brief History of Time" — is wheelchair-bound and communicates with the help of a computer because he suffers from a neurological disorder called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

Hawking said he's teaming up with his daughter to write a children's book about the universe, aimed at the same age range as the Harry Potter books.

"It is a story for children, which explains the wonders of the universe," his daughter, Lucy, added.

They didn't provide other details.

[Chris Ingersoll]

I dont know why he thinks that living on a nother planet/satellite will be any less disaster-prone.

[GrumpyBigBee]

lol, yeah I agree with you and him. There will be disasters everywhere but we are getting a little crowded... =)

[blueraider1]

besides wouldn't it be dangerous living in space as in no h2o?

[thefamoustommyz]

admin said:

I dont know why he thinks that living on a nother planet/satellite will be any less disaster-prone.

Yep...prolonging the inevitable. At first, things'll be fine if you ensure that the make-up of the various colonies are "compatible"...but numbers will grow, fights will start, wars will break out and. if nothing else, much waste will be produced, throwing the ecosystem of that place out of balance...then it's on to a new dumping ground.

Unless Hyper-Intelligent Aliens say "Look, when you wrecked your planet we thought you were idiots but didn't say anything...but we're telling you now Leave It There." like something out of The Day The Earth Stood Still.

[swarm]

blueraider1 said:

besides wouldn't it be dangerous living in space as in no h2o?

good point neil. I guess they hadn't thought of that.

[Chris Ingersoll]

From George Carlin (slightly edited for family reading):

To wind things up, there's a plan for the United States to go to Mars. Then after that were gonna colonize deep space, with our microwavable hotdogs and our plastic vomit and our fake dog poo and cinnimon dental floss and our lemon scented toilet paper and sneakers with lights in the heels, and all the other impressive things we've done down here. But what are we gonna say to the Intergalactic Council of Ministers when one of our teenage mothers throws their baby into the dumpster, or how are we gonna let them know that our ambassador is late for the meeting because his breakfast was cold and he spent half an hour punching his wife around in the kitchen? Can't you sense how eager the rest of the universe is for us to show up?

[blueraider1]

tommy,

watched the day the earth stood still.so whos to say it couldn't happen.also how will they be able to make oxygen on mars or venus?

neilybob

[Chris Ingersoll]

Having a breathable atmosphere or drinkable water isn't too much of a problem; we're talking colonizing space here, so you sort of have to assume that the necessities are taken care of (somehow) otherwise they wouldn't even bother.

[blueraider1]

true but if we can't get along down here then why go to space?

[ringsyde]

Humans will always be fallible, gullible, jealous, greedy, needy, selective to the point of discriminating and constantly in search of new ways to make things better, faster, or stronger.

Space and our existence in it will not change this.

Not changing this doesn't solve many of the concerns voiced by the good doctor.

I suppose being off the earth when it explodes, implodes or collapses under the weight of a giant object might save us . . . for a little while.

[stephenvegas]

Has anybody seen the movie "An Inconvenient Truth?" Apparently Al Gore argues in it that if we don't stop global warming in ten years then this problem will become irreversible. The movie's arguments appears to tie into what Hawking is saying in his lecture.