Philosophy
Is this the fate of senior popular scientists...commenting on aliens. Carl Sagan did. Philip Morrison did.
Aliens almost certainly exist but humans should make every attempt to avoid them, Stephen Hawking has warned.
In a series for the Discovery Channel the renowned astrophysicist said it was "perfectly rational" to assume intelligent life exists elsewhere.
But he warned that aliens might simply raid Earth for resources, then move on.
"If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans," he said.
Mr Hawking thinks that, rather than actively trying to communicate with extra-terrestrials, humans should do everything possible to avoid contact.
He explained: "We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet."
In the past probes have been sent into space with engravings of human on board and diagrams showing the location of our planet.
Radio beams have been fired into space in the hope of reaching alien civilisations.
Mr Hawking said: "To my mathematical brain, the numbers alone make thinking about aliens perfectly rational.
"The real challenge is to work out what aliens might actually be like."
The programme envisages numerous alien species including two-legged herbivores and yellow, lizard-like predators.
But Mr Hawking conceded most life elsewhere in the universe is likely to consist of simple microbes.
In the recent BBC series Wonders of the Solar System, Professor Brian Cox, a physicist from the University of Manchester, also suggested life may exist elsewhere within our solar system.
He said organisms could be present under the ice sheet that envelops Europa, one of Jupiter's moons.
Professor Cox added: "Closer to home, the evidence that life could exist on Mars is growing.
"We will only know for sure when the next generation of spacecraft, fine-tuned to search for life, are launched to the moons of Jupiter and the arid plains of Mars in the coming decades."
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Philosophy
Hawking chimes in on alien contact
Is this the fate of senior popular scientists...commenting on aliens. Carl Sagan did. Philip Morrison did.
"Stephen Hawking warns over making contact with aliens"
April 25th, 2010
BBC NEWS
April 25th, 2010
BBC NEWS
Aliens almost certainly exist but humans should make every attempt to avoid them, Stephen Hawking has warned.
In a series for the Discovery Channel the renowned astrophysicist said it was "perfectly rational" to assume intelligent life exists elsewhere.
But he warned that aliens might simply raid Earth for resources, then move on.
"If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans," he said.
Mr Hawking thinks that, rather than actively trying to communicate with extra-terrestrials, humans should do everything possible to avoid contact.
He explained: "We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet."
In the past probes have been sent into space with engravings of human on board and diagrams showing the location of our planet.
Radio beams have been fired into space in the hope of reaching alien civilisations.
Mr Hawking said: "To my mathematical brain, the numbers alone make thinking about aliens perfectly rational.
"The real challenge is to work out what aliens might actually be like."
The programme envisages numerous alien species including two-legged herbivores and yellow, lizard-like predators.
But Mr Hawking conceded most life elsewhere in the universe is likely to consist of simple microbes.
In the recent BBC series Wonders of the Solar System, Professor Brian Cox, a physicist from the University of Manchester, also suggested life may exist elsewhere within our solar system.
He said organisms could be present under the ice sheet that envelops Europa, one of Jupiter's moons.
Professor Cox added: "Closer to home, the evidence that life could exist on Mars is growing.
"We will only know for sure when the next generation of spacecraft, fine-tuned to search for life, are launched to the moons of Jupiter and the arid plains of Mars in the coming decades."
- Hawking Vs Cooper...april 5th
A milestone for the sex sitcom. May Cooper be reduced to ashes."'The Big Bang Theory' Enlists Stephen Hawking"He'll guest star on the April 5 episode for a meeting of the minds with Jim Parsons' Sheldon.by Lesley Goldberg March 12th, 2012The...
- All Cats Are Green...alien Encounters In 20 Years
All cats are green makes just as much sense and as relevant as... "Alien encounters 'within twenty years'" A top Russian astronomer say he expects humans to encounter extraterrestrial civilisations within the next two decades June 27th, 2011...
- Contingency Plan?...why Bother
UFO Flying Over China July 7th 2010 "If Mars Attacks …Do we have an alien-contact contingency plan?" by Juliet Lapidos July 16th, 2010 Slate The Chinese government has promised to investigate the unidentified flying object that forced Xiaoshan...
- "living Popular Scientist" Poll
Who is your choice for living "popular" scientist? Brian Greene...0 Freeman Dyson...3 Lawrence Krauss...0 Neil deGrasse Tyson...2 Stephen Hawking...3 Somewhat surprised. I suppose Hawking would lead...he is quite an icon. I expected Krauss to be at the...
- Pluto, Saturn, Hawking, Earth's Gravity
Just in. Stephen Hawking released data today indicating an issue with Earth's gravity. On March 31st 2009, Stephen Hawking announced on BBC Radio that at 9:47 PM the planet Pluto would pass behind Jupiter, temporarily causing a gravitational alignment...