Stephen Hawking Says Human Race Is Doomed Unless We Conquer Space Travel

Celebrated physicist Stephen Hawking has recently said that life on Earth will eventually end due to disaster, either natural or manmade, and if the human race wants to survive then it has to escape from the planet. The recent statements by the 74-year old has been made in the form of an afterword for a book.

"I believe that life on Earth is at an ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as a sudden nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus, or other dangers," Stephen Hawking has stated in the book 'How to Make a Spaceship' by journalist Julian Guthrie. "I think the human race has no future if it does not go to space. We need to inspire the next generation to become engaged in space and in science in general, to ask questions: What will we find when we go to space? Is there alien life, or are we alone?'

Hawking feels humans should look towards creating self sustaining colonies in space. However since such a feat is not possible for at least the next hundred years, according to him, therefore mankind has to be extremely careful in the intermediate period in the face of threats that can wipe out the race. The world renowned figure also stated his support for commercial space travel due to its potential for both exploration and the preservation of the human race.  

This is not the first time that the physicist has put forward his views about the fate of humanity. Earlier, in 2010, Hawking had warned about the danger humans are putting themselves into because of greed and stupidity. He also expressed the same sentiments in an interview with Larry King earlier this year. Hawking also said that six years ago he had warned about the perils of pollution and overcrowding, however the state of both have become worse over the years, with population growing half a billion since his last interview with the TV host.