Stephen Hawking: "It's time to leave Earth."

[thefinalfrontier]

Mankind must look to colonize outer space within the next century or it will become extinct, renowned British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking warned the Big Think website yesterday.

Professor Hawking said the human race is entering an increasingly dangerous period of its history.

"Our population and our use of the finite resources of planet Earth, are growing exponentially, along with our technical ability to change the environment for good or ill," he said.

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my question is who is actually pulling Dr. Hawkings string, He is being enlightented by swomeone and its not the avcerage joe like you or I,

Edited August 14, 2010 by Saru
Updated article link

[Psychic Ocelot]

my question is who is actually pulling Dr. Hawkings string, He is being enlightented by swomeone and its not the avcerage joe like you or I,

Why does he have to have someone 'pulling his string'?

[xris]

What and muck up some other virgin planet..But then if its capable of sustaining life then it must have some of its own...Is that another war , like the fictional Avatar ?

[Corp]

Exactly, he could be just making an observation. A damn good one too in my view. The sooner we get out among the stars the better.

"Ask ten different scientists about the environment, population control, genetics, and you'll get ten different answers, but there's one thing every scientist on the planet agrees on. Whether it happens in a hundred years or a thousand years or a million years, eventually our sun will grow cold and go out. When that happens, it won't just take us. It'll take Marilyn Monroe, and Lao-Tzu, and Einstein, and Morobuto, and Buddy Holly, and Aristophanes…and all of this…all of this…was for nothing. Unless we go to the stars."

[Drago]

my question is who is actually pulling Dr. Hawkings string, He is being enlightented by swomeone and its not the avcerage joe like you or I,

I'll tell you who's pulling Dr. Hawking's strings - Dr. Hawking. The man is absolutely brilliant and isn't scared to tell people what the next logical step is. We've known ever since the days of 'modern science' that there are many multitudes of things that could go catastrophically wrong on this planet, and we won't be able to predict or prepare for them. The only insurance we can take out on our species itself is to spread across numerous planets, in numerous solar systems. Otherwise, as Corp's quote says, all of everything will have been for exactly nothing.

[DONTEATUS]

I'll tell you who's pulling Dr. Hawking's strings - Dr. Hawking. The man is absolutely brilliant and isn't scared to tell people what the next logical step is. We've known ever since the days of 'modern science' that there are many multitudes of things that could go catastrophically wrong on this planet, and we won't be able to predict or prepare for them. The only insurance we can take out on our species itself is to spread across numerous planets, in numerous solar systems. Otherwise, as Corp's quote says, all of everything will have been for exactly nothing.

We all mostly agree on this Point ! Im going to E-Mail my DNA right Now!

Dooh!! That sounded like a bad Idea ! Well We do need to start now sending out our message in a Bottle!

[mcrom901]

Im going to E-Mail my DNA right Now!

u should address it to the norwegian bunker...

GET OUT OF PLANET EARTH & GO TO THE STARS!!!

affirmative....

[Paxus]

I must say I completely disagree with thefinalfrontier, like my old man has always said as long as I can remember, Hawking is simply stating the OBVIOUS. We do need to get off this rock ASAP. We're WAY behind in that department.

Plantet killing asteroids being just ONE of many reason we should be working like mad to get off this planet and establish colonies on the moon, on asteroids and on mars for starters.

As a by-note, the moon would make a perfect leap-frogging spot to gather fuel and launch further missions from as you don't have that terrible gravity cost of launching from Earth...

[SlimJim22]

I must say I completely disagree with thefinalfrontier, like my old man has always said as long as I can remember, Hawking is simply stating the OBVIOUS. We do need to get off this rock ASAP. We're WAY behind in that department.

Plantet killing asteroids being just ONE of many reason we should be working like mad to get off this planet and establish colonies on the moon, on asteroids and on mars for starters.

As a by-note, the moon would make a perfect leap-frogging spot to gather fuel and launch further missions from as you don't have that terrible gravity cost of launching from Earth...

Are you serious? What a mammoth waste of resources a moon colony would be. I am not against research into asteroids but colonizing planets is way beyond our potential.

Just leave the planet in a wreck and go find somewhere else to destroy. Before we even consider that we should look into zero point energy or at the very least look again at solar sails. Still have so many problems that would need resolving such as sustaining life support, finding inhabitable and don't forget all the potentially hostile creatures out there.

I would doubt our ability as a race to pull off the "we are your gods" angle aswell. No, let's give this a place a bit more of a go. Is it really so bad you want to leave already? Oh yeah, stay away from the moon man. We don't know how much we'd miss it until it's gone.

Why is it that Hawking is becoming like a spiritual guru where he speaks (kind of) and we all think "oh what a good idea" "He's right you know, this place is starting to reek a bit, let's move". There are better things to spend money on other than foolhardy adventures to the moon or even worse, Mars.

I do remeber reading that in the next solar system there may be an inhabitable planet. That's all great but we need to clean up our mess before we get excited don't you think?

[Paxus]

I suggest you do some research into space programmes before you jump to conclusions about moon bases.

Moon base as a steppping stone is not my idea, it's the idea of people in the know.

It would save tonnes of fuel and if you know anything about space exploration you would know fuel is what it's all about.

I never said anything about leaving our planet to waste - of course we need to focuse energy and resources on fixing our climate, resources and other problems but moving out into space should also be an absolute priority.

YOU don't know when a planet killer is due... Actually, you should, since one is actually overdue!

So, again, don't jump to conclusions about what is being said.

I am NOT for abandoning our home.

That is like you critisising me for asking a pilot to have a parachute. I'm not saying he should jump out of the aircraft at the first flicker of the oil-pressure guage, I'm saying he should invest in a parachute now, incase he can't save the aircraft.

At the rate we are going now we won't be ready to move 'off-world' for a hundred years or more.

This is simply not good enough!

And PLEASE don't lump me in with the group that considers Hawking a guru, I think his latest statement about not looking for aliens was an absolute MORONIC and highly ignorant statement. I think he should get back to what he's brilliant at, physics.

Edited August 13, 2010 by Paxus

[Drago]

Why is it that Hawking is becoming like a spiritual guru where he speaks (kind of) and we all think "oh what a good idea" "He's right you know, this place is starting to reek a bit, let's move". There are better things to spend money on other than foolhardy adventures to the moon or even worse, Mars.

Asteroid/comet impact.

Gamma ray burst.

Natural flow of climate change.

Altering natural flow of climate change.

Earth tilting on its axis.

Large scale volcanic eruption.

Melting of ice caps.

Natural evolution of diseases.

Unnatural evolution of diseases.

Enough damage to ozone layer.

These are ten ways we could be annihilated. Either reduced to a population of zero (Rendered extinct,) or our population reduced to such a small number that we begin the downward spiral towards extinction, accompanied by a likely decrease in our ability to catalog our history and advancements (So that, even should we survive, we would be on very shaky ground and more than likely quickly lose everything we have done. Sort of like hitting reset on the NES. Back to level 1. Start over.)

We cannot predict most of these events. Most of these events, should they happen, would occur so suddenly there would be no chance at preparation. We would either immediately cease to exist, take a few years to reach terminal population density, or a population density so low that we could be said to have ceased existing as a meaningful species.

In other words, at any second humanity could reach for the Monopoly cards and find ourselves looking at "Do not pass Go, do not collect $200."

The only, literally the only, single, sole way that the human race can safeguard against a single catastrophe being the end of us, is space travel. Without other planets, without other solar systems, we lose the game. Period. Somehow, at some point, we will cease to exist on Earth. There is no arguing this. Pretending that the work necessary to teach ourselves, to reach the point where we could contemplate looking for habitable planets outside our own solar system, such as the moon and then Mars, is 'foolhardy' is in fact the foolhardy stance.

There is no single action humanity could ever possibly take that would have greater benefit for our entire species than making the decision to get off this planet.

[Paxus]

It seems really obvious, doesn't it. *sighs*

I guess some people just won't see the light till it's too late.

[mcmchugh99]

What if some people already know how to get off this planet? What if hacker Gary McKinnon was right and there already are "non-terrestrial" officers flying around on some very advanced spacecraft?

Has any one else ever heard the story that we're confined to travel in this solar system--sort of quarantined here--in the sense that we wouldn't be allowed to leave it even if we could?

[Shiloh17]

He probably read my topic lol, jk

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=187331

If our Sun was to Nova in 100 years warning, could we race away from here fast enough?

[Shiloh17]

He probably read my topic lol, jk

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=187331

If our Sun was to Nova with 100 years warning, could we race away from here fast enough?

[Hazzard]

Professor Hawking has been making some odd statements resently... I do hope he is allright.

Leave the planet, but no contact with aliens...

[xris]

Professor Hawking has been making some odd statements resently... I do hope he is allright.

Leave the planet, but no contact with aliens...

Exactamon, he might as well of said lets go find heaven. We have no chance of invading another habitable planet. We cant even find one let alone get there and secure it. Is it really logical to say we need to find another planet when we still cant get to the moon easily. This idea that there are all these wonderful garden of Edens just waiting for us with no objections from the locals is bizarre. Yes I think your right questioning his mental state. We need to look after what we have and change our parasitical approach to earth.

[Paxus]

xris - No one is saying to go forth and populate 'a wonderful garden of Eden', as yuo put it.

What he's saying is that we should start making space exploration a priority now, with a view to FUTURE colonization!

We have to get moving now!

First moon and asteroids then Mars and so on.

We are way behind schedule!

[SlimJim22]

It seems really obvious, doesn't it. *sighs*

I guess some people just won't see the light till it's too late.

Glad you recognize it is some way off and that was the point I was trying to make. Rather than pinning our hopes finding somewhere better we should do everything to harness what we already have and become completely sustainable. As a natural evolution of that you'd think that significant advances would be made. In time space travel may become the norm and the Moon would be a good filling station. My reaction was solely due to the OP and your seeming enthusiam for setting a date.

If we are a planet are serious would should speed up research in biospheres and hydropinics, which is how it going already but mighty slow. Then fuel would be a priority, I don't think that technologies currently being used are adequate for travel far beyind our system. This is why I said about zero point energy. If we can harness the aether itself then we would be on our way to solving this problem. Unfotunately we are pretty closeminded as a society as to how to look at this possibility.

As I side know, there is a decent chance 'they' are already here and do have the technology already. To avoid panic it is better off keping quiet. Hence the disproportional behaviour towards Mckinnon. The issue is that were an extinction event to be imminent (100 years or so) how quickly could we master the technology and the mass produce enough to give us the best odds of saving humanity? There's not tickets for everybody is there? That is why research into ateroids is one thing but expploring the galaxy is another concept entirely. Let's work with what we have and go from there, if enthusiam can be garnered for all science all the better but statements like Hawking's seem to have little effect other than mild panic and himself losing some of the credibility that he has built up.

Maybe it's not that he's losing it but that his ego comples him to make headlines on a bimonthly basis.

[Alienated Being]

As sad as it is... only the rich will be leaving this planet, not us. We are going to be stuck here on Earth, left to burn and starve.

[Coffey]

I really don't think that the human race deserves to live much longer if we don't change the way we treat this planet. Our first steps should be fixing our own planet before messing up another. Then we can think about populating other planets.

[Paxus]

Glad you recognize it is some way off and that was the point I was trying to make. Rather than pinning our hopes finding somewhere better we should do everything to harness what we already have and become completely sustainable. As a natural evolution of that you'd think that significant advances would be made. In time space travel may become the norm and the Moon would be a good filling station. My reaction was solely due to the OP and your seeming enthusiam for setting a date.

If we are a planet are serious would should speed up research in biospheres and hydropinics, which is how it going already but mighty slow. Then fuel would be a priority, I don't think that technologies currently being used are adequate for travel far beyind our system. This is why I said about zero point energy. If we can harness the aether itself then we would be on our way to solving this problem. Unfotunately we are pretty closeminded as a society as to how to look at this possibility.

As I side know, there is a decent chance 'they' are already here and do have the technology already. To avoid panic it is better off keping quiet. Hence the disproportional behaviour towards Mckinnon. The issue is that were an extinction event to be imminent (100 years or so) how quickly could we master the technology and the mass produce enough to give us the best odds of saving humanity? There's not tickets for everybody is there? That is why research into ateroids is one thing but expploring the galaxy is another concept entirely. Let's work with what we have and go from there, if enthusiam can be garnered for all science all the better but statements like Hawking's seem to have little effect other than mild panic and himself losing some of the credibility that he has built up.

Maybe it's not that he's losing it but that his ego comples him to make headlines on a bimonthly basis.

Well, i haven't disagreed with any of what you have said about healing our planet (and by that I include our other problems). This doesn't mean we couldn't simultaneously be increasing the amount of resources put toward furthering our space traveling technology. I can't stress enough, how urgent this is. If any one of many extinction level events happen, no amount of good intentions for healing our planet will do you any good.

[Der]

I really don't think that the human race deserves to live much longer if we don't change the way we treat this planet. Our first steps should be fixing our own planet before messing up another. Then we can think about populating other planets.

Right. How dares Stephen to suggest traveling to uninhabited planets and ruin them!? Better let the whole human race become extinct rather than harming any poor innocent uninhabited planet!

[DONTEATUS]

I think that in a nut shell is It! No amount of building and magic Fixies will get us where we need to be as far as Leaving this planet to re-populate the Stars!

We have not the ability to do this now and for the next hundred years or so! Live or Die with it ! Its the facts! Mankind would be better suited to put a few probes out into space with all the DNA and information we can fit on them and just maybe a curious race of beings a million years from now will be able to re-construct us and our other creatures for a Circus Act!

On the cages It shall say ! Heres the Planets Earth`s Big Top Show! They Did`nt make it too Long ,Because they were very Greedy,and War Like!

[SlimJim22]

Well, i haven't disagreed with any of what you have said about healing our planet (and by that I include our other problems). This doesn't mean we couldn't simultaneously be increasing the amount of resources put toward furthering our space traveling technology. I can't stress enough, how urgent this is. If any one of many extinction level events happen, no amount of good intentions for healing our planet will do you any good.

As with most things it comes down to balance. If we strive to progress too quickly we will end up damaging the planet. You obviously are in more of a hurry than me because although I appreciate the dangers of exticntion level events, I see no indication one is imminent. For example I have read that we are actually pretty protected from asteroids by the massive gravitaional pulls of Jupiter and Saturn. So any large object entering the solar system should be drawn to them before us. This could be wrong but this is the reason why I think impacts are pretty irregular and not an immediate threat.

Sunspots, supervolcanoes or sudden climate change causing mass drought would all be huge catastrophes but not enough to get scared about just yet. Instead resources could be directed towards sustainability, conservation, hydroponics and zero point energy. Maybe even space-time will be a useable tool in the future. However, number one problem I can forsee is always going to be water. If water is found on asteroids or the Moon that would help the situation, otherwise there will be a need to generate water and air out of nothing. If we can't manage water supplies on earth, what are the chances of doing so in deepspace.