Five ways Stephen Hawking predicted the world would end – from robot takeovers to the Trump presidency
When he wasn’t solving the mysteries of black holes and revolutionising theoretical physics, Stephen Hawking spoke (a lot) about how the world would end.
From Terminator-style robots taking over to Donald Trump, these are some of the late scientist’s most terrifying doomsday predictions.
Earth will turn into a giant fireball
Humanity is at a “tipping point,” warned Hawking last July.
He added that global warming would cause the Earth to become like Venus, with a global temperature of 250 degrees celsius, and sulphuric acid raining from the sky.
Sounds lovely.
“By the year 2600, the world’s population would be standing shoulder to shoulder, and the electricity consumption would make the Earth glow red-hot,” he told a gathering of scientists in Beijing, China.
Our best bet is to leave earth completely, predicted Hawking.
Elon, hold that Mars rocket, we’ve got a few people who want on.
The AI apocalypse will see robots replace humans
Facebook and Google are obsessed with artificial intelligence, but Hawking didn’t trust it one bit.
He claimed it could be the “worst invention of the history of our civilisation”.
Speaking to Wired UK, he said: “I fear that AI may replace humans altogether.
“If people design computer viruses, someone will design AI that improves and replicates itself. This will be a new form of life that outperforms humans.”
Nuclear war could kill us all
When asked what human trait he’d like to change, Hawking replied with “aggression.”
He said it could lead to irrational behaviour, like sparking nuclear war and ending the world.
“There is no sign of conflict lessening, and the development of militarised technology and weapons of mass destruction could make that disastrous,” he told the BBC, as part of his 75th birthday celebrations.
“The best hope for the survival of the human race might be independent colonies in space.”
We need to get busy finding another planet
Fearing that our planet will become overpopulated, Hawking predicted that the human population will have to leave earth and repopulate elsewhere.
In a documentary titled Stephen Hawking: Expedition New Earth, he warned that if humans don’t become a multi-planetary species and settle on other worlds, we could die out in the next century.
Trump will shove the earth over the brink
Hawking was clearly not a fan of US president Donald Trump.
When the president announced his decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement to reduce CO2 levels, Hawking became one of his most outspoken opponents.
Speaking to the BBC, he said: “By…pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, Donald Trump will cause avoidable environmental damage to our beautiful planet, endangering the natural world, for us and our children.”
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