The human race toward colonizing Mars has been in the news for some time now. SpaceX owner and CEO Elon Musk has already promised that his space agency would send the first human settlers to the Red Planet within the next decade. However, renowned physicist Stephen Hawking has claimed that moving to a new planet is slowly becoming crucial for the entire human race.
Hawking said that a cataclysmic event was inevitable on Earth and also claimed that if humans are not settled on a different planet by then, the whole species may become extinct. He even predicted that this event would likely take place within the next century, warning scientists that time was inevitably running out.
These predictions by the physicist were part of a BBC documentary, dubbed Expedition New Earth.
What the documentary will focus on
In the documentary, Hawking will mainly reveal the latest scientific advances in the field of astronomy, rocket technology, and biology, which in his opinion would allow humans to colonize other planets. In the documentary, Hawking – along with engineering expert professor Danielle George and former student Christophe Galfard – will look into how human beings will be able to leave Earth behind to reach for the stars. The show will also reveal that Hawking’s ideas, which seemed to border on fantasy are no longer impossible by the present scientific standard.
Hawking’s view of the impending disaster
The renowned physicist has claimed in the future that it was almost certain that a cataclysmic event would take place on the Earth in not-so-distant future. He believed that after studying every possibility, the chances were quite high that the devastating event will take place within the next 1,000 or 10,000 years.
Hawking expects that the human race would be able to find an alternate home before that event so that the whole race can avoid extinction.
Previously, the scientist had urged space agencies to figure out a way to colonize the moon and Mars as an insurance against any apocalyptic event that may hit the Earth. While speaking during NASA’s 50-year anniversary, the physicist had claimed that Mars would be the obvious next target for colonization efforts.
Now, almost 10 years later, the world and space agencies are preparing to send the first manned mission to the planet.
However, Hawking also presented a silver lining as well when he indicated that science had developed exponentially over the past 50 years. He revealed that he was proud to have played a small part in this advancement. He was also glad that the human race came so close to unraveling the mysteries of the universe.
