THE aliens are out there and Earth had better watch out, at least according to Stephen Hawking. He has suggested that extraterrestrials are almost certain to exist — but that instead of seeking them out, humanity should be doing all it that can to avoid any contact. The suggestions come in a new documentary series in which Hawking, one of the world’s leading scientists, will set out his latest thinking on some of the universe’s greatest mysteries.
Alien life, he will suggest, is almost certain to exist in many other parts of the universe: not just in planets, but perhaps in the center of stars or even floating in interplanetary space. “To my mathematical brain, the numbers alone make thinking about aliens perfectly rational,” he said. “The real challenge is to work out what aliens might actually be like.”
The answer, he suggests, is that most of it will be the equivalent of microbes or simple animals — the sort of life that has dominated Earth for most of its history. One scene in his documentary for the Discovery Channel shows herds of two-legged herbivores browsing on an alien cliff-face where they are picked off by flying, yellow lizard-like predators. Another shows glowing fluorescent aquatic animals forming vast shoals in the oceans thought to underlie the thick ice coating Europa, one of the moons of Jupiter.
Such scenes are speculative, but Hawking uses them to lead on to a serious point: that a few life forms could be intelligent and pose a threat. Hawking believes that contact with such a species could be devastating for humanity. He suggests that aliens might simply raid Earth for its resources and then move on: “We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet. I imagine they might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources from their home planet. Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they can reach.”
I would advise the aliens to eat the Canadians first, they’re much leaner.
I trust the LIEberTARDIAN impulse present in all sentient creatures will keep the aliens at home. “Don’t turn me into a tax slave just to fund intergalaxtic conquest of other planets! I want my nanoparticle disrupter beamer.”
Space–more vast than our imagination.
If aliens are planning on the “To Serve Man” menu, and they have traveled a long way for the main course, they’re gonna go for the fatter humans (or other edible animals). The calories are more dense and easier to transport. Mmmm long pig.
Stephen Hawking must have seen “Independence Day” or watched “V” for the first time?
There are 100s of billions of galaxies, each containing billions of stars, separated by vast distances. There are almost certainly other planets, with intelligent life. But it will simply take too long for them to get here.
“But it will simply take too long for them to get here.”
By whose standards…oh yours.
#1. Leave it to bobbo to try to make some kind of LIEberal point.
@#3 No need for watching SciFi. Simple rules of Nature (that will hold regardless the basis and specific of life forms): to survive and prosper long enough to be intelligent, life form must be constantly seeking new habitats, adjusting to them and winning against competitors. This spread can’t stop at the planetary level. Life winners will spread out from the home world, still doing the same winning strategy. Eventually, we’ll contact some of them. We better be Columbus and not Natives. Mind you, Columbus haven’t been searching for partners but riches…
As for life itself and evolution to intelligence, laws of Nature have preference for it (here I speak of my own field -Physics. Basic Physical laws inevitably lead to high organizations of life if possible in any fashion).
So, this is what Hawking’s thinks about?
This sounds to me like what he SAYS he’s thinking about when he’s really having some unbelievable Roman orgy fantasy.
#6–dismal==nice concoction of science and philosophy you mix there. From a non-scientific understanding doesn’t Darwin posit only that in any given environment the fittest will more likely survive? The notion that life must constantly seek out new habitats is simply an argument you wholesale staple onto what Darwin posits. Bad for personal ideology to parade as science AND something I would think/hope scientists would avoid?
Life will “exploit” new habits, adapt to it, the most fitted surviving but that does not make the behavior goal oriented or necessary nor support the notion that there is some undeniable force pushing us to search the stars.
Hawking is just one of many deeply religious atheists.
#9–Shubee==what an iceberg you are. but more like only 1/20th exposed to sunlight? With your mastery of words revealed on your linked material, why do you go slumming with the entirely lazy notion that Hawkings is “religious” about his lack of belief?
Destroys my belief that we think with words.
“But it will simply take too long for them to get here.”
#4 answers, “By whose standards…oh yours.”
#4 Look up the meaning of “light years”. If that doesn’t give you a clue about how long it would actually take for interplanetary / intergalactic travel, then you are hopeless and should just STFU.
On second thought, save some time and just STFU anyway, fool!
Oh right, now here’s where I’m supposed to say something off the wall and set myself up for ridicule….
Here goes, If the aliens wanted to invade, why haven’t they done it already? They’ve watched us since our infancy, their probes are often witnessed, especially associated with events of important human historical relevance.
Let’s face it, humans are the most interesting phenomenon in this part of the galaxy. If you could travel faster than light, where would you go? What would you do?
I also doubt that our voyeuristic neighbors, familiar enough with physical science to travel faster than light, would have the need to travel such distances in search of physical resource.
Actually I am saddened to hear such opinions, from someone whose ideas I hold in high esteem. I hope this isn’t indicative of decay in one of the greatest minds of our century.
Amodedoma==you pose as believing anything that has passed thru the filter of pop culture????
I don’t believe you. Thats how highly I have come to think of you over these months.
Well, this is awkward.
A visitor from a highly developed space-faring civilization will want to talk with the most intelligent person on the planet.
How are we going to explain Professor Hawking’s snub?
#13 bobbo
Oh, gee, I can’t tell you how disappointing it is for me to hear you say that.
Hawkings is right. A very intelligent and advanced species may be very benevolent or evil, it could go either way. The human species is a good example in two ways:
1) We practice a lot of predation and exploitation in the name of progress. Look at we do to the resources and other animals. We would be the clueless animals should a very advanced species visit us. We have no mercy for cows and chicken, why would our visitors have mercy for us?
2) The human civilization has seen some odd “cycles” in culture and values. We’ve had Mozart, Da Vinci and Fellini. Now we have gangsta rap, “graphic novels” and Michael Bay. What kind of culture and value cycle is our potential visitors’ going through right now? It could be very harmful.
Correction: What kind of culture and value cycle is our potential visitors’ CIVILIZATION going through right now? It could be very harmful.
A correction.
According to well-known cannibals, human flesh does NOT taste like chicken, but instead tastes like pork.
#18.Speak for yourself….Porky.
Hey, leave us Canadians off the menu. Besides we all probably carry mad cow (look at Shatner – our next Governor General, God and Spock willing).
(The GG is the mostly cosmetic head of state)
Displace, destroy and enslave indigenous life forms and then exploit their natural resources, leaving a barren and lifeless rock unable to support life? Sounds like Western Australia, to me.
#10 bobbo said, why do you go slumming with the entirely lazy notion that Hawkings is “religious” about his lack of belief?
I did not say that Hawking is “religious” about his lack of belief. I think Hawking is religious for dismissing all the realistic catastrophes that most certainly will cause or might cause the extinction of humankind and, instead of that, believing that we need to worry about space aliens.
He’s correct. I should know since I’m a member of the advanced reconnaissance party. Here’s an inside tip, don’t bother to pay your bills next month. Feel free to blow it all partying.
Hawkings is certainly correct that if intelligent alien being are anything like humans, we better avoid them.
We would likely fare no better than the Incas when alien Francisco Pizarro paid a church visit.
Aliens exist – in their distant planets. They cannot reach here, have no interest, or will not survive here. If any aliens survive and come here, then they will wipe us out.
All the UFOs and the anal seeking incidents are just aggressive homos from NASA/Pentagon.
I just want to go where no man has gone before.
Just pondering……. I wonder what would happen, if a brilliant mind were to sit quietly and concentrate on black holes for ten years? And when he finally came out of the trance… what brilliant ideas would he have? Anyone?
#22–Now Shubee==if what you say were true, then why did you put atheist right after religious instead of putting everything you said at #22. Those are entirely two different statements. Heh, heh. Is your problem with the language, the idea, or just telling the truth?
Skeptic==I think Shubee has your answer, but it might take about 10 years from now before he can answer.
Why is it, after reading some of these comments I keep thinking of Peter Jackson’s greatest film ‘Bad Taste’?
Any species able to travel between the stars would most likely have about as much respect for humans as humans do for a bunch of monkeys.
If they see something we have that they want they’ll take it because they can.