Hawking: Consider Migration from Earth

Stephen Hawking, the prominent British physicist and cosmologist, says that for the future of humanity, we must pave the way for migration to somewhere other than Earth. According to The Independent, in a speech at the University of Oxford, he stated, 'I don't think we will survive another thousand years without escaping our fragile planet.' The topic of this speech, held on Monday of this week, was the universe and the origins of humanity. According to CBS News, although Hawking had previously stated that if humanity cannot properly control technology, it will become extinct, he tried to be more optimistic about the future of human achievements in this speech. He said, 'Remember to keep your head up and look at the stars, not down at your feet.' Kepler-22b, the first planet beyond our solar system confirmed by NASA's Kepler telescope, orbits in a star zone similar to the Sun, an area that may be habitable... however, Kepler-22b is 600 light-years away from us. Stephen Hawking is one of the scientists who believes that the improper and unregulated use of artificial intelligence, robots, and genetic engineering threatens the future of humanity. According to The Independent, Hawking, who believes it is important not to give in to the future, said in this speech, 'Try to understand the reasons for the things you see. See how the universe came to be. Be curious. No matter how hard life seems, there is always something you can do and succeed at. Not giving in too soon is important.' In recent months, Hawking has tried to use his scientific position in the global community as a platform to discuss the decaying ethics and political dilemmas that the global community currently faces. In an article published in July in The Guardian, he stated that humanity must avoid individualism and isolationism, which political movements like Brexit will lead to, in order to survive the serious and immense challenges of global warming, food shortages, or population growth. He said the global community needs to rethink and change the 'meaning' of wealth and assets.