Stephen Hawking: Pollution, Greed, & Stupidity The Greatest Threats On Earth

Physicist Stephen Hawking was known to be very vocal about his opinions, and his latest comment is that pollution, greed, and stupidity are among the greatest threats to earth.

The Washington Post noted that in an interview with Larry King Now on June 26, the famous scientist said that he's worried of overcrowding. He shared, "We certainly have not become less greedy or less stupid. Six years ago I was worrying about pollution and overcrowding. They have gotten worse since then."

He also said that the problem of pollution has only grown in the last five years, and more than 80 percent of those in urban areas have been exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution. With climate change being what he believed is the biggest problem in the world is today, Hawking also told King that he wondered whether or not humans have come past the point of no return.

According to The Huffington Post, Hawking was interviewed from the Canary Islands, where he was honored at the Starmus Festival. During his conversation with Larry King, however, they were also able to touch on the topic of artificial intelligence, which he believed could be an actual threat to mankind.

He said that he doesn't think that these advances could be benign. For instance, if machines could reach a critical stage where they can evolve themselves, there is no way of knowing whether or not their goals will be the same as those of humans.

In other Stephen King news, Tech Times noted that the famed scientist is set to announce his new project: mapping the entire known universe in 3D with the help of a supercomputer named Cosmos, which is located at Cambridge University. The project will be discussed in detail by the physicist himself during the Starmus Science Conference, which started on June 27.