Stephen Hawking: Humans must leave Earth and colonize other planets if race is to survive
Vikas Shekhawat , Churu, Rajasthan: Dec 1 2006
Made Popular Dec 1 2006

stephen-hawking1_18Stephen Hawking’s latest remark that it’s time for humans to colonize other planets that exist in far away solar systems if the race is to survive, pulls the cords of the alarming bells already resonating fiercely that Earth is now too feeble to sustain any more pressure of ‘life’.

Renowned British cosmologist, who’s confined to chair due to Lou Gehrig’s disease, while receiving the world’s oldest award for scientific achievement, the Copley medal, from Britain’s Royal Society on Thursday, said:

The long-term survival of the human race is at risk as long as it is confined to a single planet. Sooner or later, disasters such as an asteroid collision or nuclear war could wipe us all out. But once we spread out into space and establish independent colonies, our future should be safe.

We cannot rebuff Hawking’s star trek fantasy as there is no other choice, doesn’t matter that it will take thousands of year to find and reach any hospitable planet like Earth in other far-flung solar systems with the speed of light. Stephen and some other scientists’ believe that this is possible by applying matter/antimatter annihilation to propel spacecraft, however, even they’re not sure about it’s feasibility as it violates the scientific law that ‘nothing can travel faster than light’.

So, will it remain a fantasy and life on earth is set to doom?

As far as catastrophe like asteroid collision, that would apparently wipe out life on the planet, is concerned, scientists are dead sure that it might happen anytime and annihilate species just like the dinosaurs. Although, thousands of small asteroids bombarding the planet’s atmosphere are not of major concern, however, bigger ones too are not far away. NASA is already working on ‘Armageddon’ style plan to land on any threatening asteroid heading towards Earth and destroy it.

To ensure long-term survival of species on Earth, we’ll have to make the star trek fantasy a reality, but right now it’s not feasible. However, we’re moving, though slowly, to give concrete shape to these castles we’re building, of late, in air and understand laws which govern the universe and ‘Time’.

Now, that is far away and the only option left is to check ‘ourselves’, especially when we clearly know how much juice Earth holds to support us.

Via: International Herald Tribune

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0 Stars
Since the outer atmosphere is not feasible for humans so I guess, scientists would have to transform humans to be able to bloom in the existing environment by means of genetic engineering… though its quite an imaginary thing …. And as Vikas says, ‘we’re moving, though slowly, to give concrete shape to these castles we’re building…’
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Ashutosh
Chandigarh, India
A home away from home!

That’s what I will say the idea is cool but still there are millions of bits and pieces that the scientist need to figure out before the humans can take this journey. The mass evacuation seems a distant reality but here’s what we can do to prolong our stay and give these scientists some time to think.

STOP ABUSING THE NATURAL RESOURCES OF EARTH AND LETS ENDEVOR TO MAKE IT LESS POLLUTED!

Otherwise humans are fast approaching there doom.
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Jolly ecofriend.org
Jalandhar, India
According to me Stephen is absolutely right that earth can be destroyed by an asteroid collision or a nuclear war.
But the point that we have to leave earth and colonize other planets does not seem feasible as we do not know whether there are some other planets in the universe that will be able to sustain human life. We still have not been able to fully explore our own galaxy leave aside other galaxies.
Instead of shifting to some other planet we should concentrate our minds on making our own earth a better place to live in.
NASA’s project is also not quite feasible as they are planning to destroy an approaching asteroid by a nuclear bomb no questions that it will do so but we also have to consider the fact that if we do so then the remains of the asteroid will fall on the earth in small pieces and they will now be radioactive and again it will harm the human race and that too in a much worse fashion.
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Yes nidhi it might be possible if cosmologist say....

As we all know that human race is at risk whether because of global warming, epidemic diseases or nuclear attack. Let cosmologist also bring out their predictions regarding our deaths.

Sometimes i get a feeling that will I die like this... Moreover, reading these articles everyday makes me more scared.
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Vikas Shekhawat instablogs.com
Churu, Rajasthan, India
Jolly: ”the remains of the asteroid will fall on the earth in small pieces and they will now be radioactive and again it will harm the human race” ...

Jolly, we don’t have to worry about small pieces of asteroids as they’d burn up owing to the massive heat generated by friction with the Earth’s atmosphere, as happened with the shuttle Columbia. Our major concern is bigger masses of asteroids and the fact that thousands of them pass the planet every year makes the issue more complicated. However, there are no chances of strike in the near future.
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Kathiron
New Delhi, India
As the ever invincible humans we are, what hawking says could also be achievable some day. My point here is if every citizen of the world turns out to be a environmentally sensitive and responsible citizen now. We could atleast leave a livable planet for our future generations till they could make this possibility a reality and expand into other galaxies of the universe.
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