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Stephen Hawking may be wrong mongabay.com July 8, 2006
"It is important for the human species to spread out into space for the survival of the species," said Hawking at a news conference in Hong Kong. "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." While Hawking may be one of the most respected and preeminent scientists in the world, his comments taken at face value seem off base, since at worst, they suggest that instead of addressing problems here on Earth, we should start over on another planet, essentially discarding our planet like a used candy wrapper or soda can.
There is no question that Hawking is concerned for the fate of humanity -- on Friday, in an online forum, Hawking asked, "In a world that is in chaos politically, socially and environmentally, how can the human race sustain another 100 years?" -- but is spending a fortune on space exploration necessarily the best solution at the present time? Recommend this article? Comments? Digg this article | Hugg this article | Contact News options News index | RSS | Add to MyYahoo! Advertisements: Organic Apparel from Patagonia | Insect-repelling clothing |
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