One Of The Greatest Scientist Of The Time, Stephen Hawking Says That Human Race Is Doomed If We Do Not Colonize The Moon and Mars
- Mankind should start departing from Earth within thirty years to avoid being wiped out by overpopulation and global climate change, Professor Stephen Hawking has warned.
- In this session, we’ll be learning about the speech and also the reason behind his speech.
The Speech
Stephen Hawking, while giving an ardent speech at the Starmus science festival in Trondheim, Norway, said it absolutely was crucial to ascertain colonies on Mars and also the Moon, and take a Noah’s Ark of plants, animals, fungi, and insects, to start out creating a brand new world.
Prof Hawking also said that it absolutely was solely a matter of time before the earth as we all know it is destroyed by an asteroid strike, rising temperatures, or over-population.
He conjointly said that turning into a ‘cosmic sloth‘ wasn’t a choice as a result of ‘the threats are too big and too numerous.’
“I am convinced that humans need to leave earth. The Earth is becoming too small for us, our physical resources are being drained at an alarming rate.
We have given our planet the disastrous gift of climate change, rising temperatures, the reducing of polar ice caps , deforestation and decimation of animal species.
When we have reached similar crisis in our history, there has usually been somewhere else to colonise. Columbus did it in 1492 when he discovered the new world. But now there is no new world. No Eutopia around the corner. We are running out of space and the only places to go to are other worlds.”
Prof Hawking additionally told the audience that the world would eventually be hit by a devastating asteroid strike.
“This is not science fiction it is guaranteed by the laws of physics and probability,” he said. “To stay risks being annihilated. Spreading out into space will completely change the future of humanity. It may also determine whether we have any future at all.
Wherever we go we will need to build a civilisation, we will need to take the practical means of establishing a whole new ecosystem the will survive in an environment that know very little about and we will need to consider transporting several thousands of people, animals, plants, fungi, bacteria and insects.”
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So, What’s The Best Option Then?
Hawking said that the Moon and Mars were the most effective sites to start the primary colonies, stating that a lunar base may well be established within thirty years and a Martian outpost within fifty.
Aside from that, he also recommended leaving the solar system and venturing to our nearest star system, Alpha Centauri, where scientists believe there exists a habitable planet referred to as Proxima Centauri B.
He said nuclear fusion-powered ships propelled by lightweight, Star Trek-style matter-antimatter reactors, or “some completely new form of energy” may enable humans to travel light-years.
A small first step was already being taken by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner’s Breakthrough Start Shot project, said professor Hawking. The project envisages sending a fleet of small “nanocraft” carrying light sails on a four light-year journey to Alpha Centauri, the closest star system from Earth.
“If we succeed we will send a probe to Alpha Centauri within the lifetime of some of you alive today,”
he said.
“It is clear we are entering a new space age. We are standing at the threshold of a new era. Human colonisation and other planets is no longer science fiction, it can be science fact.
The human race has existed a separate species for about two million years. Civilization became about 10,000 years ago and the rate of development has been steadily increasing, If humanity is to continue for another million years it relies on boldly going where noone has gone before. I hope for the best. I have to. We have no other option.”
Short Bio of Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking is an English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author. At present, he is also the Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge.
His scientific works include a collaboration with Roger Penrose on gravitational singularity theorems in the framework of general relativity and the theoretical prediction that black holes emit radiation, often called ‘Hawking Radiation.’ Hawking was the first person to set out a theory of cosmology explained by a combination of the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. More bio…