Stephen Hawking’s Warning, Humanity Only Has 1000 Years Left On Earth
When we look at what past decades thought we would have in the 2020s, we often encounter flying cars, robot homes, and express meals. While some of their visions did come true in a loose sense—such as the further integration of computers into our lives and the simplification of things like the telephone—others are still ways away, even for us.
Nowadays, when talking about the future, people often discuss the potential fate of humanity over whatever inventions may come to pass. Even the greatest minds of our generation were concerned with where the human race will end up.
Scary as they may be, thoughts like that shouldn't be holding you back, as they could seriously be stifling your potential. If you want to shake them lose and live fearlessly, look no further than this audio clip.
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Visions Of The Future
When thinking about what the future has in store for us, what do you see? What if you think beyond our lifetime, centuries into the future? Have we learned more about our galaxy? Are there commercial space flights we humans take on the regular? Have we moved planets entirely, successfully colonizing another neighboring planet?
Or is the situation more dire than that? Have we met our end by one of the dangers looming over our world? Or was it caused by something entirely different?
One Man's Warning
Internationally renowned physicist Stephen Hawking had an answer to our end-of-the-world wonders, which he shared with the public before passing in 2018.
"I don't think we will survive another 1,000 years without escaping beyond our fragile planet," he said during a lecture he gave at the University of Cambridge. He was not without a plan, though, as he also believed, "[W]e must … continue to go into space for the future of humanity."
Tread Lightly
We aren't quite there yet, still bound to our home planet of Earth, but Hawking believed we would reach sustainability abroad before our time is up.
He estimated that human colonies on Mars won't be a real option for at least another 100 years, and urged that we need to be "very careful" during the decades leading up to that step forward so as not to squander it.
What he believes to be the biggest threat to our survival isn't humans themselves, but one of our possible creations.
One Of Two Extremes
Namely, potential futures regarding artificial intelligence.
Hawking wasn't against AI, just cautious about it. He said that AI will be "either the best or the worst thing ever to happen to humanity."
He feared that history might repeat itself and, in our excitement over AI developments and the power they grant, we might wind up building something that does a lot more harm than good. His biggest fear was the creation of "powerful autonomous weapons" that could wreak havoc on the global population.
Banding Together
In fact, he was one of over 20,000 researchers, experts, and other notable figures who signed a coalition calling for a ban on anybody developing any sort of autonomous weaponry that could fire on targets without human intervention. Other members of that coalition are Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, and Noam Chomsky.
The founders of the leading AI company, OpenAI, have spoken about this coalition, empathizing with the worries people have about AI's future potential capabilities.
Only Imagination
"AI systems today have impressive but narrow capabilities," they said. "It seems that we'll keep whittling away at their constraints, and in the extreme case they will reach human performance on virtually every intellectual task. It's hard to fathom how much human-level AI could benefit society, and it's equally hard to imagine how much it could damage society if built or used incorrectly."
So at least they're aware of the public's concerns, but that doesn't guarantee much.
Far From Alone
Hawking's concerns involved more than just AI, though. He also warned against climate change, nuclear wars, and global pandemics.
There was one more worry that he listed, one that many might consider more fantastical than the rest: alien invasions.
In the docuseries Stephen Hawking's Favorite Places, he said, "I am more convinced than ever that we are not alone." He then explains that should aliens find us, "they will be vastly more powerful and may not see us as any more valuable than we see bacteria."
A Beautiful Life
He didn't think it was all bad, though, nor did he only have negative predictions for the future. Before his death, he said it was a "glorious time to be alive and doing research into theoretical physics."
Looking ahead, things always seem dire. It's much easier for our brains to envision the negative aspects of humanity developing, but we have to remember that the positive things will grow too, and we'll see so many major life improvements in the decades to come thanks to scientific research.
Eyes To The Skies
For those feeling despair or dread about the years to come, Hawking encouraged them to remember our rather minuscule place in this incomprehensibly massive universe.
"Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet," he said. "Try to make sense of what you see, wonder about what makes the Universe exist. Be curious. However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don't just give up."
By staying confident, you can live fearlessly, in a way that truly opens all of life's doors. That's easier said than done, but there's a free tool that can easily help you shake your self-doubt and hack your brain into being more confident.
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