Stephen Hawking is one of the most important researchers that humanity has had with a major impact on the way we see the surrounding world in space, during his lifetime the scientists also issued several warnings while many of us were afraid of a third world war and there was a flurry of speculation about what could lead to a world conflict. The famous researcher had a completely different opinion about the extinction of civilization on the planet as early as 2001. Hawking claimed that there was a much greater chance that a virus, not an atomic bomb would decimate humanity in the context in which most of the news you read in this period concerns coronavirus infections or the methods by which you can avoid infection.
Th recent turn of events has brought to light Stephen hawking’s words said about 20 years ago, authorities in many corners of the world were taken aback by the way new cases of Covid-19 infected persons shot up. The response time to this epidemic has been very slow and the lack of effective prevention measures is the main fear of the world health organization. But going over these details it is very interesting how hawking argued in 2001 about the extinction of the human race because of a virus.
“The human race will disappear before the end of this millennium probably because of a virus and not an atomic bomb if no human colonies are set up in outer space”.
Stephen Hawking in an interview
The British Scientist believed at that time he declared himself very concerned about biological weapons and not nuclear ones that require extensive installations and fabulous investments while genetic engineering can be done in a small laboratory with a few people. The danger is that we can accidentally or voluntarily create a virus that will destroy the human race by the end of this millennium the only solution being the colonization of cosmic space.
“In the long term, I am more worried about biology…. genetic engineering can be done in a small lab. You can’t regulate every lab in the world. The danger is that either by accident or design, we create a virus that destroys us,”
Stephen Hawking in an interview with Telegraph.
Today the world has seen various virus threats like SARS, MERS, Ebola, Zika, H1N1, and the latest one Covid-19 or the Wuhan Virus. These virus outbreaks are a frequent phenomenon and keep originating in various parts of the world. As Stephan Hawking pointed out in interviews leading up to the launch of his book The brief history of time the major reason for the wipeout of the human race can be attributed to the inception of Superhuman, Artificial Intelligence, genetically modified viruses and the advent of aliens. He also suggested that genetic engineering should be used to make humans better space travelers and they should try to inhabit space because as the earth turns hostile the future race might have to take refuge in space.
Do you think that the predictions made by the great scientist are valid or the humans will be able to reign supreme again?
