Stephen Hawking warns alien contact would be humanity's end
Renowned theoretical physicist Professor Stephen Hawking (A Brief History of the Universe) has lent his support to the possible existence of intelligent life in the universe after saying that aliens are almost certainly ‘out there’ and humanity would be well advised to avoid contact with them.
“If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn’t turn out very well for the Native Americans,” he warned.
Professor Hawking offered his observations regarding the existence – and even possible threat – of extraterrestrials during the filming of a new science documentary series for The Discovery Channel.
According to Prof. Hawking, it’s highly unlikely we’re the only form of intelligent life, not least because the universe has some 100 billion galaxies, each holding hundreds of millions of stars and billions of orbiting planetary bodies.
“To my mathematical brain, the numbers alone make thinking about aliens perfectly rational,” he explained. “The real challenge is to work out what aliens might actually be like.”
While the good professor claims most life out in the cosmos is probably microbial, he notes that human contact with any form of evolved and intelligent alien life could spell humanity’s doom.
“We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet,” he said with regard to the Earth being targeted as little more than a bountiful resource to be consumed and discarded.
“I imagine they might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources from their home planet,” he continued. “Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonise whatever planets they can reach.”
Other notable scientific minds that believe in the close proximity of alien life include Professor Brian Cox, who, in his recent Wonders of the Solar System documentary series for the BBC, said Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s moon Titan could provide ideal conditions.
http://www.thetechherald.com/articl...g-warns-alien-contact-would-be-humanity-s-end
