Hawking looks way, way up

[SevenSeasJim]

100 years is not very far away.

Hawking looks way, way up

Last Updated Tue, 13 Jun 2006 16:38:08 EDT

CBC News

British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking has a 100-year plan for humans to save ourselves: colonize space.

"It is important for the human race to spread out into space for the survival of the species," Hawking told a news conference in Hong Kong on Tuesday.

"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.

It's not clear why Hawking wants humanity to survive. On his website, he said intelligent life in the universe includes the human race "even though much of its behaviour throughout history has been pretty stupid, and not calculated to aid the survival of the species."

There's no place like Earth

While it's possible for humans to manage in other places in our solar system, for real happiness, we have to go further afield, he said.

"We won't find anywhere as nice as Earth unless we go to another star system."

There could be a moon base in 20 years and a Mars colony in 40, Hawking said, but it will take a century to build space settlements that can exist independently from mother Earth.

Hawking, 64, uses a wheelchair and talks through a computer because he has a neurological disorder.

He wrote the bestseller A Brief History of Time.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

I admire Hawking to no end, but I think he's off his chump with this - unless he means it with total irony (which I wouldn't doubt either), to say, in a few words, We're totally fucked (unless we all start doing things way differently).

This kind of talk reminds me of why I stopped reading Adbusters a few years back, when they went all futurist, lauding the imminent merger of humanity and machine.

It's all a bit like noticing the fridge is empty, and hoping to get a decent meal off the lawn.

[Alexis]

I admire Hawking to no end, but I think he's off his chump with this - unless he means it with total irony (which I wouldn't doubt either), to say, in a few words, We're totally fucked (unless we all start doing things way differently).

i would completely agree with hawking on that point.

now, off to mow my lawn. because according to my neighbour, the world will melt or something if i don't.

[Lazlo]

now, off to mow my lawn. because according to my neighbour, the world will melt or something if i don't.

When you moved back to Hamilton how did you manage to find the only neighbourhood with people dumber than you.

[Alexis]

i guess it must be someone around here that lets you come over and use their computer.