Hawking Gives Humanity 100 Years
Stephen Hawking, the renowned cosmologist, believes that humans should prepare themselves for an imminent migration to alien planets. According to him, in 100 years, Earth will no longer be a habitable planet and humanity must consider living elsewhere.
The world’s most distinguished researcher is concerned about the future of our planet. He warns that dangers such as climate change, asteroid impacts on Earth, pandemics, and population growth could render the planet uninhabitable.
Hawking told the BBC global network that human existence could face serious dangers in the next 100 years, which is why humans should soon consider relocating to alien planets.
The possibility of life in other systems
This is not the first time Hawking has proposed humanity’s migration to another habitat in space. He had predicted in November of last year (2016) that Earth would no longer be habitable a thousand years later. The world’s most renowned cosmologist now speaks of a hundred years from now.
But where should we go? Hawking proposed in November building self-sufficient communities on Mars. However, it would take decades before the first migration becomes possible. Although space organizations like NASA have long targeted Mars for manned missions, there is still no concrete plan for this.
The British cosmologist, however, thinks beyond our solar system. He supports the launching of nanospaceships using laser propulsion toward stars at distances of light-years away from Earth.
A 30,000-year journey in just 20 years
The project called Breakthrough Initiatives, funded by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, has selected Alpha Centauri, the first system beyond our solar system, as its target.
This system is 4.3 light-years away from Earth. A journey by an explorer from Earth to this system with current technology would take 30,000 years. However, the small spacecraft Hawking envisions, equipped with a giant sail and powered by laser propulsion, are expected to cover the same distance in just 20 years.
A laser beam targets the small spacecraft armed with a giant sail and accelerates its speed.
As long as one wants to do this with ultra-light explorers, short-term power equivalent to about 50 nuclear power plants is required. But if we want to propel manned spacecraft in the same way, we would need thousands of power-generating plants.
Who knows, perhaps one day scientists will develop completely different techniques for creating propulsion forces that would allow humanity to undertake interstellar voyages.
Source: DW
