Need to abide by Hawking's warning

Stephen Hawking, the Cambridge theoretical physicist who theorised the black holes and is the world’s most famous scientist, has in the past issued many warnings about the future of humanity. As a person who survived the most debilitating physical condition, he is not a defeatist and pessimist. But Hawking’s fears about the ability of human beings to survive as a race have strengthened over the years. In his latest reflection, Hawking has said that “we are at the most dangerous moment in the development of humanity,” and wants our species to work together more than at any time in history to ensure our survival. He has listed out the many ways in which human beings may meet a disastrous fate. The disaster lies not just in the end to culture and civilisation. Hawking finds it likely that human life as such may be wiped out from the earth.

Hawking thinks that mankind faces serious threats like awesome environmental challenges, climate change, food production deficit, overpopulation, decimation of other species, epidemic diseases and acidification of the oceans, apart from the technological tools we have ourselves developed. Each of these can itself endanger our existence but there is inadequate awareness of the impact they will have, singly or together, on our future. The scientist is especially perceptive when he says that “mankind has the technology to destroy the planet on which we live, but we have not yet developed the technology to escape it.” The destructive technology means not only nuclear weapons, but also artificial intelligence and automation which might reduce job opportunities and create economic and social conflict. The idea of establishing colonies away from the earth has appealed to many, including Hawking, in the past. Efforts are being made to make the dream a reality. But Hawking’s wisdom should carry great appeal: “We will have established human colonies amid the stars in a few hundred years, but right now we have only one planet and we need to work together to protect it.”

Hawking has made the comment in the particular context of the recent political and social developments in the world. He is worried about the contraction and narrowing of the world and its movement away from openness and globalisation, as seen in the Brexit vote and the victory of Donald Trump as president of the USA. He thinks we should break down barriers and not erect them and links our survival to that openness. Hawking says he is an enormous optimist, but wants the world to learn the right lessons from the recent events and change itself for its own sake.