Stephen Hawking is known around the world as being a pretty smart man. Due to his intelligence when he speaks people actually listen (whether or not they process what he says is a different matter). Well Mr. Hawking made another statement saying humanity needs to leave Earth or face extinction.
This is the reason I’m such a strong supporter of advancing space exploration. The bottom line is we need to get off this rock as soon as possible. Furthermore we need to find a means of expanding beyond this solar system as well but right now the immediate goal should be to make another planet habitable. Any number of things could cause the destruction of this planet including a sizable chunk of space rock, nuclear war, and of course a pair of wolves swallowing the sun and moon.
Either way the priority of our race has been survival but few seem to understand that continued survival requires we take some of our eggs from this basket and move them to another basket.
EDIT 2010-08-09 12:49: Hawking and Hawkings are slightly (completely) different. Edits made to reflect this slight oversight. Also I can’t type. Thanks for pointing it out Jeff.
It is actually Stephen Hawking, not Hawkings. I am all for space exploration as well, though I would prefer it be carried out by market forces rather than government, (like we are seeing with the X prize stuff).
Me and the English language sometimes aren’t the best of friends. The article has been edited to reflect that.
Also I agree with letting private industry handle this. The X Prize stuff has been doing well and frankly I believe government to be too incompetent to accomplish the goal of actual colonization of other planets.
My father has been saying that for years, but probably because he used ot read the hell out of the stuff Hawking wrote.
Even if we followed every single last thing the greenies wanted us to do, staying on this planet simply is not sustainable for the human species, as history has repeatedly proven for other species. I am not sure I buy his 200-year fuse, but it is as good a number as any, from the best source out there.