Abandon Earth or Face Extinction, Stephen Hawking Warns

FoxNews ^

[Scythian]

It's time to abandon Earth, warned the world's most famous theoretical physicist.

In an interview with website Big Think, Stephen Hawking warned that the long-term future of the planet is in outer space.

"It will be difficult enough to avoid disaster on planet Earth in the next hundred years, let alone the next thousand, or million. The human race shouldn't have all its eggs in one basket, or on one planet," he said.

"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."

[NonValueAdded]

Is "abandon" Hawking's word or the take of the author and headline writer?

Still, we need to act and act fast, Hawking stated. "It will be difficult enough to avoid disaster in the next hundred years, let alone the next thousand or million. 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."

hard to argue with that statement and I don't see where that involves abandonment of Mother Erf.

[vpintheak]

There’s a great athiest mind for you folks.

[Matchett-PI]

Another nut-case (”We’re all gonna die” Chicken-Little) heard from.

In spite of “Climate-Gate” and other politicized science scams, he still thinks that people will believe him just because he’s a “scientist”.

Hawking never gives up his “dream” of conning someone (or taxpayers) into paying for a rocket ride into space for him before he dies.

Pathetic.

[metalcor]

It seems to me to be a reasonable statement. It’s in our natures to colonize in order to insure the continuation of our species and finding other planets, etc., is a logical progression. And it’s increasingly apparent that it will at some point become necessary. Or we can just go away. But in the meantime, the natural desire to hedge our bets by spreading the risks through migration will be the same as it ever was.

[bolobaby]

[Scythian]

From what I’ve read in the Bible the Earth is doomed anyway

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

Al Gore is in actually correct (much like a broken watch is twice a day). Global Warming is coming, but on a massive scale ...

[Beowulf9]

I thought Hawkings illness had advanced so far he was not going to able to communicate anymore, but I guess that is not true?

I’m glad we can still be able to know what he is thinking and saying, but this seems a little unworthy of his great mind. Seems a little sensationalistic. Then again, he’s probably correct.

[editor-surveyor]

“Very long term he is correct, nothing we need to panic over that is certain.”

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Wow, all you have to do is read God’s word to get that mesasage, but there is nowhere in the universe to go that doesn’t suffer the same fate: Nonexistance of the Physical, temporal universe. Sure its going to happen, but God has provided for us before he does it.
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[Le Chien Rouge]

Dr Hawking also warns against talking to aliens.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/04/25/dont-talk-aliens-warns-stephen-hawking/

That’s going to piss off some sci-fi geeks who early awaiting aliens from the planet Vulcan.

[andy58-in-nh]

“Where’s the kaboom? There was supposed to be an Earth-shattering kaboom!”

[dr_who]

After you Steve.

[sniper63]

"Just where, Mr. Hawking, do you suggest we go?"

"One of these days Alice. POW! To the moon, Alice, to the moon."

[editor-surveyor]

“Then again, he’s probably correct.”

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That would make exactly... uhh... ONCE!
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[Marty62]

It’s his meds.

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

So this is a way to fund a large space station for the government and rich and famous?

[Kegger]

There’s no point acting all surprised about it. All the planning charts and demolition orders have been on display in your local planning department in Alpha Centauri for fifty of your Earth years, so you’ve had plenty of time to lodge any formal complaint and it’s far too late to start making a fuss about it now.

I have my towel.

[RC2]

I’m sure glad you stated that. I was packing up and getting ready to leave. Whew...........I like my neighborhood.

[Stosh]

If he’s concerned about problems that are sociological in nature, they’ll be with us no matter where we’re living.

If he’s concerned about problems in our physical environment, they’re going to be a hell of a lot easier to solve in our present location, where we are already present, with a viable atmosphere and oodles of resources, than they would be on any extraterrestrial site at which all the factors above would be major problems.

If he’s worried about disasters on a cosmological scale (asteroid impact, etc.), those can be worked on in the background; long-range, we should have plenty of time to prepare, and if it happens short-range, we’re screwed anyway.

How a guy so much smarter than me can be so much dumber just amazes me.

[Roccus]

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DON'T PANIC!!

[editor-surveyor]

“Or we can just go away.”

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Available choices:

* Heaven (recommended)

* Hell (not recommended)
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