Hawking: Humans must colonize other planets

Humans must colonize planets in other solar systems traveling there using "Star Trek"-style propulsion or face extinction, renowned British cosmologist Stephen Hawking said on Thursday.

Referring to complex theories and the speed of light, Hawking, the wheel-chair bound Cambridge University physicist, told BBC radio that theoretical advances could revolutionize the velocity of space travel and make such colonies possible.

"Sooner or later disasters such as an asteroid collision or a nuclear war could wipe us all out," said Professor Hawking, who was crippled by a muscle disease at the age of 21 and who speaks through a computerized voice synthesizer.

"But once we spread out into space and establish independent colonies, our future should be safe," said Hawking, who was due to receive the world's oldest award for scientific achievement, the Copley medal, from Britain's Royal Society on Thursday.

Previous winners include Albert Einstein and Charles Darwin.

I believe this is something we really need to consider, getting man on other planets. Now that we have experimented with one and taken it right to the dogs, lets see if we can do better the second time around. The "GAIA" concept of Earth as a living creature has always fascinated me. It is true it constantly replenishes itself and finds itself in a perfect balance between giving and taking, but humans somewhere tilt the scales towards their own side. Always taking - well what else can do they? They have nothing to offer this world.


I love the movie "Matrix". Here is Agent Smith's famous dialogue, being a hardcore environmentalist its one of my favorite dialogues in the movie.


Agent Smith: I'd like to share a revelation during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species. I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You are a plague, and we are the cure.

Credit for the Hawking news - www.cnn.com