To avoid extinction humans must colonize space says Hawking
To avoid extinction humans must colonize space says Hawking
mongabay.com
November 30, 2006
As he was awarded the most prestigious prize in science, British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking said that humans need to colonize outer space in order avoid extinction.
Hawking, who was presented Thursday with the Copley medal from Britain’s Royal Society, told BBC Radio that humanity faces extinction if it confines itself to Earth.
“The long-term survival of the human race is at risk as long as it is confined to a single planet,” Hawking said. “Sooner or later disasters such as an asteroid collision or a nuclear war could wipe us all out. But once we spread out into space and establish independent colonies, our future should be safe.”
Hawking said that improvements in technology could make space travel for feasible in the future.
 Earth as viewed from Apollo 17. |
“Science fiction has developed the idea of warp drive, which takes you instantly to your destination. Unfortunately, this would violate the scientific law which says that nothing can travel faster than light,” he added “but matter/antimatter annihilation” could make it possible to travel at speeds just below the speed of light. “My next goal is to go into space,” he said.
Hawking, who has long pushed for space exploration and has performed groundbreaking research on black holes and the origins of the universe, believes that we could have a permanent base on the moon in 20 years and a colony on Mars in the next 40 years.
“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,” he said this summer at a news conference in Hong Kong.
The Copley medal is the world’s oldest award for scientific achievement. First awarded in 1731, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Louis Pasteur and Sir James Cook have been recipients the award.