The survival of the human race depends on its ability to find new
homes elsewhere in the universe because there's an increasing risk that a
disaster will destroy the Earth, world-renowned scientist Stephen Hawking said Tuesday.
The British astrophysicist told a news conference in Hong
Kong that humans could have a permanent base on the moon in 20 years and a
colony on Mars in the next 40 years.
"We won't
find anywhere as nice as Earth unless we go to another star system," added
Hawking, who arrived to a rock
star's welcome Monday. Tickets for his lecture planned for Wednesday were sold
out.
He added that
if humans can avoid killing themselves in the next 100 years, they should have space settlements that can continue
without support from Earth.
"It is
important for the human race to spread out into space for the survival of the species," Hawking said. "Life on Earth is
at the ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as sudden
global warming, nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus or other dangers we
have not yet thought of."
The 64-year-old
scientist--author of the global best seller "A Brief History of Time"--is
wheelchair-bound and communicates with the help of a computer because he
suffers from a neurological disorder called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or
ALS.
Hawking
said he's teaming up with his daughter to write a children's book about the
universe, aimed at the same age range as the Harry Potter books.
"It is a
story for children, which explains the wonders of the universe," his
daughter, Lucy, added.
They didn't
provide other details.
advertisement
