[AstroNet] Hawking warns over alien beings

[Maciej Soltynski]

Hawking warns over alien beings 

Aliens almost certainly exist but humans should avoid making contact, Professor Stephen Hawking has warned. 

In a series for the Discovery Channel the renowned astrophysicist said it was "perfectly rational" to assume intelligent life exists elsewhere. 

But he warned that aliens might simply raid Earth for resources, then move on. 

"If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans," he said. 

Prof Hawking thinks that, rather than actively trying to communicate with extra-terrestrials, humans should do everything possible to avoid contact. 

He explained: "We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet." 

" The real challenge is to work out what aliens might actually be like " 
Stephen Hawking 

In the past probes have been sent into space with engravings of human on board and diagrams showing the location of our planet. 

Radio beams have been fired into space in the hope of reaching alien civilisations. 

Prof Hawking said: "To my mathematical brain, the numbers alone make thinking about aliens perfectly rational. 

"The real challenge is to work out what aliens might actually be like." 

The programme envisages numerous alien species including two-legged herbivores and yellow, lizard-like predators. 

But Prof Hawking conceded most life elsewhere in the universe is likely to consist of simple microbes. 

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/8642558.stm
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