Space Colonization
URGENT UPDATE:
A 16th Oct. 2001 WARNING by Cosmologist
PROF. STEPHEN HAWKING
“The human race is likely to be wiped out by a doomsday virus . . . unless we set up colonies in space. Although Sept. 11th was horrible, it didn’t threaten the survival of the human race like nuclear weapons do,” said the Cambridge University Scientist. “In the long term, I’m more worried about biology. Nuclear weapons need large facilities, but genetic engineering can be done in a small lab. The danger is that, either by accident or design, we create a virus that destroys us. I don’t think the human race will survive . . unless we spread into space. There are too many accidents that can befall life on a single planet.”
All of the above concerns were expressed a quarter century ago in this following article by Mr. Falconi.
BUT, the “original” concept of escaping from earth in order to back up and preserve our civilization, as expressed by Mr. Falconi, was preconceived by over a quarter-century in the following prophetic paragraph:
“We must keep the problems of today in true proportions: they are vital – indeed of extreme importance – since they can destroy our civilisation and slay the future before its birth. The crossing of space may do much to turn men’s minds outwards and away from their present tribal squabbles. In this sense, the rocket, far from being one of the destroyers of civilisation, may provide the safety valve that is needed to preserve it.”
“The Exploration of Space”, 1951, p.194, by Arthur C. Clarke, F.R.A.S.
