Stephen Hawking says humans must eventually leave the Earth

I agree with his view on this much more than his fear of an alien race.

http://m.slashdot.org/story/184699

*waits for compson to pop in and post something super fucking depressing and a bunch of articles from Wikipedia*

lol squee.

well, i highly doubt the planet will be uninhabitable within the next thousand years, but i do agree that at some point we will have to abandon ship. would be cool to see this happen in my lifetime though.

Edit: not the end of the Earth, to be clear. but some people living in space

its p obvious unless we can learn how to control asteroids and also pollution etc etc

humans can only live on earth because god

human beings are so dim. we are surrounded by everything we could ever need and the potential to create even more of a paradise - yet we make a complete muck of it, wallowing in the slop-trough

the dark one has set out for us, content to play in our own shite, obsessed with ourselves, blue and ashy, quivering on the floor, overdosed on the drug of our own senses and our meaningless creations. when will we wake the fuck up?

Im fairly sure people already live in space.

Just not for very long.

My response to this is "no shit" and "you dont say"

Isn't this partially what the upcoming Elysium is based on?

Regardless, I'm not leaving this rock.

if everyone would just quit fucking

  On 4/13/2013 at 5:52 PM, Deer said:

My response to this is "no shit" and "you dont say"

Stephen Hawking - a scientist who has cared more about physics than concentrating efforts on using science to improve the planet itself.

Black holes are irrelevant to study until we have sorted things on Earth.

  On 4/13/2013 at 7:21 PM, Bread said:

Stephen Hawking - a scientist who has cared more about physics than concentrating efforts on using science to improve the planet itself.

Black holes are irrelevant to study until we have sorted things on Earth.

Yeah because we could never take the knowledge gleaned from others' study of black holes or physics and apply it to life and society here on this rock we call Earth.

  On 4/13/2013 at 9:46 PM, chenGOD said:

 

  On 4/13/2013 at 7:21 PM, Bread said:

Stephen Hawking - a scientist who has cared more about physics than concentrating efforts on using science to improve the planet itself.

Black holes are irrelevant to study until we have sorted things on Earth.

Yeah because we could never take the knowledge gleaned from others' study of black holes or physics and apply it to life and society here on this rock we call Earth.

 

But he says crap like this all the time, right?

From his wiki:

  Quote

Over the years, Hawking maintained his public profile with a series of attention-getting and often controversial statements:^[235] he has asserted that computer viruses were a form of life,^[236] that humans should use genetic engineering to avoid being outsmarted by computers,^[237] and that aliens likely exist and contact with them avoided.^[238][239] Hawking has expressed his concerns that life on earth is at risk due to "a sudden nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus or other dangers we have not yet thought of".^[240] He views spaceflight and the colonisation of space as necessary for the future of humanity.^[240][241]

All this speculative doomspeak. I think he's just a bit cynical about humankind. We gave you that voice computer, jerk.

  On 4/13/2013 at 9:46 PM, chenGOD said:

 

  On 4/13/2013 at 7:21 PM, Bread said:

Stephen Hawking - a scientist who has cared more about physics than concentrating efforts on using science to improve the planet itself.

Black holes are irrelevant to study until we have sorted things on Earth.

Yeah because we could never take the knowledge gleaned from others' study of black holes or physics and apply it to life and society here on this rock we call Earth.

 

Understanding physics - yes, agreed, to an extent.

Understanding the nature of black holes - huh?

by studying black holes, we further our knowledge of relativity. By furthering our knowledge of relativity we further understand the physical properties of our own planet.

  On 4/13/2013 at 10:25 PM, chenGOD said:

by studying black holes, we further our knowledge of relativity. By furthering our knowledge of relativity we further understand the physical properties of our own planet.

And how does this lead to social change and improve the health of people on the planet?

I'm just saying that it seems to me there are other branches of science which can do more, right now, to improve society in many areas. Does a poor, starving nation care about relativity, or is it better to see whether new agricultural methods can be derived from scientific research?

Also, if we figured out how to use wormholes. I mean that would potentially be pretty super.

  On 4/13/2013 at 10:35 PM, AdieuErsatzEnnui said:

Also, if we figured out how to use wormholes. I mean that would potentially be pretty super.

lol - if we can't live together peacefully on this planet, then a wormhole will only help in disseminating across space our cultural inadequacies.

let's get into space and kick some ass!

  On 4/13/2013 at 10:37 PM, Bread said:

 

  On 4/13/2013 at 10:35 PM, AdieuErsatzEnnui said:

Also, if we figured out how to use wormholes. I mean that would potentially be pretty super.

lol - if we can't live together peacefully on this planet, then a wormhole will only help in disseminating across space our cultural inadequacies.

 

That is a pretty absolutist statement considering the amount of variables that have to be considered.

Wormholes could potentially lead to the discoveries that fix all of our major cultural problems for example.

I really don't want to get into a debate about wormholes though.

I think a lot of discoveries end up being put to practical use in areas they weren't originally considered for. I'm sure early work into genetics wasn't designed with the goal of GM food, so I wouldn't write off astrophysics as something useless to mankind - if we never went into space we wouldn't have those astronaut pens that write even when upside-down.

  On 4/13/2013 at 10:37 PM, Bread said:

 

  On 4/13/2013 at 10:35 PM, AdieuErsatzEnnui said:

Also, if we figured out how to use wormholes. I mean that would potentially be pretty super.

lol - if we can't live together peacefully on this planet, then a wormhole will only help in disseminating across space our cultural inadequacies.

 

I think god might be waiting for us to solve our issues finally and then he'll come and show us how to use wormholes as a reward.

I hope it doesn't happen sooner, because it's useless.

  On 4/13/2013 at 10:54 PM, BCM said:

let's get into space and kick some ass!