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No Signs of Intelligent life on Earth, Says Stephen Hawking watch!

current.com — Stephen Hawking opens up to Discovery News correspondent Irene Klotz. In this fascinating question and answer period Stephen Hawking says the human race has no future if we don't go into space and he hopes there is intelligent life somewhere in the universe because there are no signs of it here on earth

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  • jflowers45, on 06/10/2008, -7/+228I thought this would end up being an onion article
    • Scratkiller, on 06/10/2008, -1/+18Yeah the title really doesn't do this justice. It is actually a very interesting interview, but it is branded as a one line gag...
    • themastersb, on 06/11/2008, -2/+1You don't have to be a genius to find out that there's no intelligent life on Earth.
  • anum1, on 06/10/2008, -3/+50 If you were a hyper advanced alien civilization, rather then mucking about with noisy electromagnetic waves, perhaps you would try to make contact with other intelligent life forms by sending your..
    • textrant, on 06/10/2008, -0/+27ARMIES!!!
    • Asriel86, on 06/10/2008, -3/+51Weed?
    • cusoman, on 06/10/2008, -2/+63Horny tentacle monsters?
    • Cerebron, on 06/10/2008, -1/+19Sub-Etha net spam.
    • lexington86, on 06/10/2008, -2/+26Dolphins
    • markp93, on 06/10/2008, -1/+9ellipses
    • Rainemaker, on 06/10/2008, -1/+3meta-topic questions?
    • skidzilla, on 06/10/2008, -1/+6Neutrinos.
      • tyywebb, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1 Why neutrinos? They pass through almost all regular matter.
      • voxel, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1yeah, "regular" matter...
    • Rohhob, on 06/10/2008, -20/+11Jesus...if life forms believe in him, they obviously aren't intelligent.
    • rossinio, on 06/10/2008, -0/+27Gold DC-10s?
    • catch2wenty2, on 06/10/2008, -2/+10reply to a digg comment.
      • ScottoGato, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1reply to reply of digg comment with reason for digging/burying comment.
      • dsmx, on 06/10/2008, -0/+8ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED.
    • rpgmaker, on 06/10/2008, -5/+37I personally believe that when if we get to find intelligent life on other planet we will be smarter than them, but not only that, we will colonize them and take a hold on their natural resources. Becoming the aliens that we always feared on the movies...

      Hawking have always said that we need another planet in order to survive as specie and I agree with him, but once we get there what we will do? Destroy it bit a bit as we have done with the Earth?

      "Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with their surrounding environment, but you humans do not. You move to another area, and you multiply, and you multiply, until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet." - Agent Smith.
      • breadfred, on 06/10/2008, -0/+6Thanks. That was awesome.
      • bennovw, on 06/10/2008, -2/+4ROFL, miss south Carolina!
      • DarkDx, on 06/10/2008, -0/+7I personally believe that when if we get to find intelligent life on other planet we will be smarter than them, but not only that, we will colonize them and take a hold on their natural resources. Becoming the aliens that we always feared on the movies..

        That would make an interesting reverse-alien invasion movie.
        • avonalt, on 06/10/2008, -1/+2Wasn't that an episode on "The Outer Limits"?
      • Mushroomhero, on 06/10/2008, -0/+4Awesome quote, but it's true. Most things that we have created are at the detriment of all other living things on this planet.
        i.e. plastics
        • Qeveren, on 06/11/2008, -0/+5No, it's utterly wrong. Absolutely no form of life attempts to instinctively reach equilibrium with its environment. Equilibrium is -forced- upon life -by- the environment.
      • Stevethegreat, on 06/10/2008, -2/+5A virus does not spread complexity, it dissolves complexity. Agent smith made a mistake, we may destroy but we replace it with technological species of which evolving rate (to more intricate structures) is far greater that natural selection (nature's law) would allow. So in one sense, one could say that we improve the world(s) and -as such- we're the very antithesis of viruses.

        What is the answer of Agent Sagan to that?
      • dvazgird, on 06/10/2008, -1/+1its true, if u look at a city from above it can appear as a growth, like we are some kind of advanced bacteria.
      • TheBSG, on 06/11/2008, -3/+4Ah, nerds: Attempting to make deep intellectual arguments about human-kind with The Matrix quotes since 1999. It's a step up from quoting Spock, at least.
    • AsadM, on 06/10/2008, -1/+6Greetings in the form of corny yet familiar terms such as "ba weep grana weep nini ba"?
    • Arkz, on 06/10/2008, -0/+6WD-40!
    • StevesJobs, on 06/10/2008, -3/+3This is why I love digg.
    • megaloid, on 06/10/2008, -0/+2rebate form. They'll probably reply more quickly, too.
    • brenlez, on 06/10/2008, -2/+2George W Bush. This would increase our average intelligence by a lot.
    • themastersb, on 06/11/2008, -0/+3I expect aliens to make their presence known by coming to our planet and peeking inside of poeple's homes.
    • Avaseal, on 06/11/2008, -0/+0Intergalactic neighbors some Earth-Flowers?
    • Charklii, on 06/11/2008, -2/+2Screenshot moment.
    • alexlinebrink, on 06/11/2008, -0/+2Hot chicks.
  • BigManOnCampus, on 06/10/2008, -10/+89Stephen Hawking is correct. However, since he has stated the obvious so openly it's obvious he needs a beer and some friends to pass the time and stop thinking about how dumb we all are.
    • FTWmovin2canada, on 06/10/2008, -0/+5That is my strategy.
    • Phyraxus, on 06/10/2008, -5/+15Ignorant, unintelligent, and proud of it. Good on you.
      • FTWmovin2canada, on 06/10/2008, -3/+2Was this an attempt to reply to my message? It's hard to tell when you aren't using the reply form.
    • natchiketa, on 06/10/2008, -2/+16People like Stephen Hawking, who are worrying about things like this now, will make it possible for BigMenOnCampus like yourself to continue doing that, hundreds of years from now.
    • jabberwolf, on 06/10/2008, -0/+4I'll drink to that!
    • robbob, on 06/10/2008, -0/+5Stephen Hawking speaks for himself
    • zeebo, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1Obviously you aren't familiar with the wild and crazy lifestyle of M C Hawking.
  • greytfriend, on 06/10/2008, -3/+123I think it's great that a guy with such a huge intellect and so many challenges also has a sense of humor. Especially considering how routine and trite her comments and questions were.
    • firex726, on 06/10/2008, -0/+27"Nice British accent."
      • Phyraxus, on 06/10/2008, -0/+29Yeah, what a bitch.
        • greytfriend, on 06/11/2008, -0/+3She just seemed really inexperienced and out of her league.
        • angryredplanet, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1I think she was joking. He is from the UK, his voice box was from the US. He chose to keep it as he felt people characterise it with him.
        • tyywebb, on 06/11/2008, -0/+3Yeah I read a quote when someone asked him why he doesn't update his voice since there's such better voice replication software now he said that voice is part of his identity. I think if I was him I would use some crazy terminator voice just to ***** with people. :D
    • Jpotts12, on 06/10/2008, -4/+7Since when did having a huge intellect and many challenges prevent one from having a sense of humor? The way you make it seem like he has a sense of humor in spite of these things.....if anything, having a huge intellect and facing challenges would cause you to have a better sense of humor. First, smart people generally (though obviously not always) have a better sense of humor, and second, facing so many challenges in life causes you to take a more comical outlook on things in order to cope (some people end up just being angry and bitter though). There are a lot of comedians that had ***** childhoods.
      • greytfriend, on 06/11/2008, -0/+3You make good points. Either laugh or cry, right? I guess I just expected a genius, or this genius anyway, to be very serious and intense. Some are, you know. I'm glad to be reminded not to make assumptions about people based on how they look and what they do.
    • Jpotts12, on 06/10/2008, -4/+0I'm right about what I said. Everything who disagrees is wrong, because I am right.
    • aladrin, on 06/10/2008, -0/+3What makes you think he was joking?
    • skyroket, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1It seemed to me like she was reading her questions off another sheet - perhaps some questions written by Hawking fans?? I highly doubt she had the depth of character to be frank with Dr. Hawking. Usually people like that are scared to death of their disabilities.
  • FallOutBoyTonto, on 06/10/2008, -21/+45so he admits that he himself is not intelligent? :)
    • mark076h, on 06/10/2008, -0/+26maybe he is an Alien?
      • protogenxl, on 06/10/2008, -1/+7Well... THEY TRIED TO KILL HIM WITH A FORKLIFT!
      • omenmedia, on 06/10/2008, -1/+4Well someone tell him to stop being a perv and looking through windows.
    • greytfriend, on 06/10/2008, -4/+51In the video he says there's not much intelligent life here. I figure his brains more than compensate for about a million of us regular folks.
      • ICSU, on 06/10/2008, -2/+14try billion
        • Avaseal, on 06/11/2008, -4/+0Sure he may be able to solve complex math equations and speak in a cool mid 90's Macintosh voice, but when it comes to walking around, or wiping my own ass, or typing out long run-on sentences I think we all know who the winner is.
    • ch1ck3n3, on 06/10/2008, -2/+24he knows everything because he knows nothing.

      Checkmate.
    • ANT1138, on 06/10/2008, -4/+18he was joking.
    • MWeather, on 06/10/2008, -3/+8It doesn't take a genius to figure out even geniuses are dumb.
    • jabberwolf, on 06/10/2008, -2/+8Who said he was from earth ?!?!
    • StevesJobs, on 06/10/2008, -2/+5i'm surprised he didn't self-destruct
    • wannapiece, on 06/10/2008, -0/+5Did you not see him smile after his statement...?
    • 4degrees, on 06/10/2008, -11/+5who ever is intelligent raise your hand! stephen? no?
      • Wakkyweed, on 06/10/2008, -0/+4Am I a horrible person for thinking that was a funny joke? Meh... most likely...
      • skyroket, on 06/11/2008, -0/+2Yeah I'll see you guys in hell. I laughed, too.
    • daveruiz, on 06/10/2008, -0/+12"The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool."- William Shakespeare
    • Gbobrt4, on 06/10/2008, -1/+2True, Stephen Hawking is intelligent by our standards as humans, but he knows that the potential for intelligent life is much more immense than we can imagine/comprehend as the human race.
    • f3l1x, on 06/10/2008, -0/+3The smartest people realize we are all pretty stupid. Once you reach that level of awareness and understanding, things becomes a lot more clear. But if you don't understand, and think your the smartest little thing ever, well...
    • Xill, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1I think the answer to that is yes. Thinking your more intelligent than others leads to nothing good. Like Socrates said: all I know is how little I know.

      Of course there is different degree of non-intelligence. lol
    • Gizza, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1Well he said there is not much evidence, not that there is no evidence. So I guess you just proved his point.
    • oyflaaaayvin, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1He obviously doesn't own a mirror or have access to one.
  • alapoet, on 06/10/2008, -8/+23On a bad day, I tend to agree with Hawking...
  • jks139, on 06/10/2008, -3/+166Looks like he was going for a Gandhi style quote:

    Reporter: “Mr. Gandhi, what do you think of Western civilization?”
    Gandhi: “I think it would be a good idea!”
    • Katana314, on 06/11/2008, -0/+11Wow, never knew Gandhi could give such a good burn.
    • swiecki, on 06/11/2008, -1/+1Gervais. Called you out jks139.
    • Lochie, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1What do you think now, Mr Magoo?
  • protogenxl, on 06/10/2008, -1/+76Your theory of a donut-shaped universe is intriguing, Homer. I may have to steal it.
  • ligyron, on 06/10/2008, -11/+33Yeah, well, I bet you can't do this! *does the Charleston*
    • Sm0k1R, on 06/10/2008, -19/+3Yah lets make fun of the cripples, thats funny....
      • brutalentropy, on 06/10/2008, -2/+9Right, cripples that have done far more than ligyron (or anyone else on this site, including myself) could ever hope to.

        Hawking is cool as hell.
      • catch2wenty2, on 06/10/2008, -0/+7a small irony is that Hawking could type the words *does the Charleston* just like mr. ligyron did...
    • wrathbone, on 06/10/2008, -1/+10He started it.
    • f3l1x, on 06/10/2008, -3/+5I had a girlfriend in a wheelchair once... I think she was abused as a child because she always wanted me to push her around. It was fun for a while but the relationship started to go downhill so I had to let her go.
      • ligyron, on 06/10/2008, -3/+3started to go downhill so I had to let her go
        started to go downhill so I had to let her go
        started to go downhill so I had to let her go

        Sorry.
    • zeebo, on 06/11/2008, -1/+1You wouldn't be laughing for very long, Hawking has that robotic exoskeleton that he created, which was not only designed for world domination, but also to make him a dance sensation.
  • whiterice0, on 06/10/2008, -15/+8Hawking should be first to get blasted into space to search for intelligent life. I've suggested this before, but he doesn't seem to want to step up to the plate.
    • narcofiche, on 06/10/2008, -0/+4I don't know if that was intentionally funny, but it was. And for as awesome as Stephen Hawking is, it pains me to laugh at it.
    • Sm0k1R, on 06/10/2008, -3/+2We shouldnt do that, if we did the collective IQ of Earth would drop by a few points.
    • MWeather, on 06/10/2008, -1/+2Uh, he IS getting blasted into space aboard SpaceShip Two. He's already training on the "vomit comet".
  • afromon11, on 06/10/2008, -32/+6Look, I appreciate what you have done over your life, but don't go insulting me because you think you know everything. No offense but come on, no intelligent life?
    • cryptomystic, on 06/10/2008, -5/+22It was a joke but I guess you are not intelligent enough to realize it.
    • MidnightRealism, on 06/10/2008, -2/+13Congratulations on missing the main point of the article and giving everyone else a good laugh at your expense. Stupid.
    • Neverclear, on 06/10/2008, -2/+9Some would say the test of true intelligence is being able to laugh at yourself. I think you've swung and missed on that one.
    • mcarlson88, on 06/10/2008, -3/+1cryptomystic ftw
    • ancalagon73, on 06/10/2008, -2/+2I think you just made his point.
    • kh99, on 06/10/2008, -1/+0Just the expected comment from someone who didn't watch the video.
  • oilcan, on 06/10/2008, -40/+4god what a dick
    • wrathbone, on 06/10/2008, -1/+13You forgot the colon after god.
      • BoonTobias, on 06/10/2008, -6/+3comma
        • bob12321, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1A comma looks like this ',' While a colon looks like this ':' (needless to say without the quotes)
        • wrathbone, on 06/11/2008, -0/+0I said what I meant. Colon.
    • ClemsonPoker, on 06/10/2008, -2/+2Oh come on, if any of us were that smart, we'd be just as arrogant, and that's assuming that he hid some truth in what was obviously a joke.
    • Frostman3D, on 06/10/2008, -0/+2If you were paralyzed and had to talk with a computer voice, you'd be a dick too.
  • 9bpm9, on 06/10/2008, -21/+13If Hawking believed in god, I would have trouble wondering how someone could believe in a god that is involved in your life, and did that to you.
    • Cerebron, on 06/10/2008, -1/+8Only if you thought your physical self and existence here were all that mattered.
    • ICSU, on 06/10/2008, -2/+6That's not why he doesn't.
    • whiterice0, on 06/10/2008, -12/+6In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. You need to think eternally, not temporaly. Jesus' own disciples dealt with terrible persecution and were killed for preaching the gospel. But God gives each of us who rely on Him for our strength the ability to persevere with joy through the trials we'll inevitably face.
    • MWeather, on 06/10/2008, -1/+11Did you hear what God did to his own son? Hawking got off easy.
    • IglooBurner, on 06/10/2008, -1/+2He has a more intelligent view on this world. Take the term "unnecessary suffering" for example, to assume that there's unnecessary suffering in this world is to assuming that you know everything there is to know about this world, and than say that this or that particular suffering is not necessary.
      The God he believes in follows a set of rules, just like how a programmer follows logical rules when creating a program, and sometimes you have to push a few buttons to make things happen. If you ask him if he suffers unnecessarily, I'll bet that he'll tell you that he believes there's a reason he is what he is today.
      • angryredplanet, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1No, he believes that the universe is governed by the laws of physics. He believes that even though God may have laid out the rules, he does nothing to interfere with them.
  • sockpuppets, on 06/10/2008, -15/+10I want to hear him say "The cow says... mooooo"
    • sockpuppets, on 06/10/2008, -0/+9Digg hates speak and spells. Duly noted.
      • skidzilla, on 06/10/2008, -3/+1Digg loves speak and spell, hates ad hominem attacks.
      • skyroket, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1That was not Speak 'n Spell. That was that circle deal with the huge ***** arrow in the middle that you pulled the drawstring and it recoiled to teach you the sound that matched up with the picture. I always hated that *****, because the arrow would get off-target and when it pointed to the duck it would make the dog noise. You'd have to manually wind it around until it recalibrated itself, but that's how it got ***** up in the first place. Damn 80's toys.
  • Hetman, on 06/10/2008, -3/+92This is taken out of context. Seriously Stephen Hawkings is jsut saying the best thing for humanity to do is colonize space. We cannot be a 1 planet species. It is to risky.
    • Cerebron, on 06/10/2008, -13/+6It worked for us so far.
      • breadfred, on 06/10/2008, -1/+5That's what the caveman said. 'Why go out of this cave and look what is on the other side of the hill?'
      • angryredplanet, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1We've been extraordinarily lucky.
      • skyroket, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1Have you SEEN where the status quo is getting us?
    • Hetman, on 06/10/2008, -1/+13Thats the beauty of mega disasters like an asteriode hitting the planet. It does not happen all the time. But when it does happen we are screwed. There have been 5 mass extinctions since the beginning of life on earth. I really would prefer that there is not a 6th. And if there is we do need someone on a different planet.
      • elhaf, on 06/10/2008, -6/+6Why, so they can remember your eloquent comment on Digg?
      • Hetman, on 06/10/2008, -1/+5Nope I would just say the continuined existance of our species should be reason enough.
        • directrix13, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1Volunteers for repopulation?
        • saranagati, on 06/10/2008, -0/+4sex with a female on another planet? I suspect you found the right place to ask for volunteers.
      • angryredplanet, on 06/11/2008, -1/+1Sorry to break this to you, but there are strong signs we're in the secondary phase of the 6th mass extinction right now:
        http://www.actionbioscience.org/newfrontiers/eldre ...

        The difference in the main cause of this one and all the others throughout history is almost exclusively biotic: human activity.

        We are in some serious trouble unless we start treating the environment with more respect, not breeding so much and actually caring for the biodiversity of this planet.
      • skyroket, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1Does anyone really give a ***** if we go extinct? If you go extinct, you're not going to be around to give a *****. It's really about someone else's turn to see if they can manage the top of the food chain any better than we have.
        • angryredplanet, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1Ummm.... I do.

          That's one of the main differences between us and all other terrestrial species. We have advanced emotions and foresight. I don't want to die in vain - like my whole existence was null and pointless.

          Postmortem, I may or may not care too much. Time will tell.
    • xero69, on 06/10/2008, -1/+2Especially risky with Oprah and Dr Phil running around
    • Pritchard, on 06/10/2008, -0/+3We're going to have a hell of a time colonizing to other planets. It will be hundreds of years before Mars is habitable enough (although I'm hopeful technological advancements will fix this), and hundreds more before we can escape our solar system.

      The best solution right now is to manage the space around us. Observe every little detail of it. I'd love to have sensors all around the solar system, scanning for potentially dangerous objects. Currently, we have blind spots at certain angles and regions. It's terrible. Anything can happen in a section of space within our own solar system, and we wouldn't even know about it.


      I focus more on managing the space we already have rather than continual, immediate expansion, because a lost planet is a *lot* of people...
      • Quisquis, on 06/10/2008, -0/+0A lost planet is a lot less people if there's someone left on another planet to mourn them...

        To say that we don't have the technology to leave earth on a permanent basis is just silly. We have everything we need except the will to do it.
        • Pritchard, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1It's a very large investment that can have dire consequences if things go wrong. Even our satellites can cost from millions to billions of dollars to send out on missions... This would be a project for mankind as a whole. People aren't going to let their lives be disrupted so severely unless they thought they were at risk.
    • PoopStick, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1damn, way to make it easy for everyone.
    • Contajeerus, on 06/11/2008, -0/+3Wrong:

      Stephen Hawking: Asking big questions about the universe

      http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/242

      Timecode 6:19
      We are entering an increasingly dangerous period of our history.
      Our population and our use of the finite resources of planet earth are growing exponentially along with our technical ability to change the environment for good or ill. But our genetic code still carries the selfish and aggressive instincts that were of survival advantage in the past. It will be difficult enough to avoid disaster in the next hundred years let alone the next thousand or million. Our only chance of long term survival is not to remain inward looking on planet earth but to spread out into space. The answers to these big questions show that we have made remarkable progress in last 100 years, but if we want to continue beyond the next 100 years, our future is in space. That is why I'm in favor of manned or should I say person-ed space flight. All my life I have sought to understand the universe and find answers to these questions. I have been very lucky that my disability has not been a serous handicap. Indeed, it has probably given me more time than most people to pursue the quest for knowledge. The ultimate goal is the complete theory of the universe and we are making good progress.

      Q: Professor, if you had to guess either way, do you now believe that it is more likely than not that we are alone in the milky way as a civilization of our level of intelligence or higher?

      A: I think it quite likely that we are the only civilization within several 100 light years. Otherwise we would have heard radio waves. The alternative is that civilizations don't last very long, but destroy themselves.
  • Me0wmix, on 06/10/2008, -8/+50Dugg for accuracy.
  • db0255, on 06/10/2008, -15/+2No intelligent life here?
    That's like Arnold Schwarzenegger saying there aren't that many strong people in the US, or one of the Supreme Court Justices saying there aren't that many just people in the world.
    • Dukaso, on 06/10/2008, -1/+4Way to miss the point.
    • Gryffydd, on 06/10/2008, -0/+2I see the point you were getting at...but that still made almost no sense.
    • Cerebron, on 06/10/2008, -1/+0Except Hawking assumes that he is qualified to make the statement, your examples pretty much are.
    • db0255, on 06/10/2008, -1/+1Sorry for missing his smile after he said that. Had to rewatch it.
      • cloak419, on 06/11/2008, -1/+1You're not allowed to talk when men are talking. Buried.
  • Brennn10, on 06/10/2008, -12/+3The Q and A of the Intelligent Life question begins at 1:03.

    (For those who don't want to listen to th whole thing)
    • josereyes0, on 06/10/2008, -1/+3Come on...it's 2 minutes and 17 seconds, we're already too impatient as it is, this happens to be one of the major causes of exactly what Stephen Hawking is referring to.
      • Mononuclear, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1This is a painful video to sit through. The women is incredibly annoying. It has nothing to do with attention span or people being dumb. I would think more intelligent people would find it even more painful to sit through.
    • mistermaster, on 06/10/2008, -0/+0Thanks! But it took me 1:30 to find your post :(
  • Totz83, on 06/10/2008, -15/+5Did I just get insulted by an android?
    • protogenxl, on 06/10/2008, -0/+5Not really, considering he can't run Crysis
  • shoerob, on 06/10/2008, -2/+75Did no one see him smile or something? It was obviously a joke.
    • chispito, on 06/10/2008, -1/+9Yeah, and he actually has a pretty good smile.
    • sennewam, on 06/10/2008, -1/+14I saw him smiling, but that was just to be polite. It was obviously the truth.
    • Merb, on 06/11/2008, -0/+3Dugg for "or something"
  • n1eb, on 06/10/2008, -23/+6Sounds to me like he believes in a God or creator.
    • Hetman, on 06/10/2008, -0/+6Does it matter?
    • Jpotts12, on 06/10/2008, -0/+7Sounds to me like he admits the possibility of a God or creator, but doesn't necessarily believe in God. And again.....does it matter?
      • n1eb, on 06/10/2008, -2/+6It matters because the next time that some digger submits a cutesey cartoon or chart proving how God doesn't exist, I'll just refer to Stephen Hawking and ask if he can't rule it out, how can you?
  • wynja, on 06/10/2008, -8/+11Duh, we live on a giant ball of water and rock. What happens when you smack one rock into another really hard? They break. That means we are sitting on a giant target.
    • MidnightRealism, on 06/10/2008, -1/+20Last time I checked, Bruce Willis was still alive. We'll be fine.
    • Cerebron, on 06/10/2008, -2/+1Also, most rocks aren't gooey on the inside, while we probably are.
    • Lionhart, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1And where are we supposed to go exactly? Do you know any "rock" less dangerous to be on? And can you honestly say that a man-made environment in space would be less dangerous?
      • Qeveren, on 06/11/2008, -0/+3Does "don't keep all your eggs in one basket" mean anything to you?
    • Scaryclouds, on 06/10/2008, -0/+2Unless freaking Mars hits us, our "rock" is not going to break.
      • watcht, on 06/10/2008, -0/+4I dunno Mars has been looking pretty red in the face lately....
      • Qeveren, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1It's already happened once...

        Seriously though, nothing that size is likely to ever hit the Earth again, but it doesn't take a Mars-sized rock to mess up the thin frothy layer of life on the skin of this planet.

        Also, planet-sized objects don't 'break', they 'splash'. At the scale of forces involved, they act more or less like big water drops.
  • JK1150, on 06/10/2008, -25/+3at least we can talk on our own
    • MidnightRealism, on 06/10/2008, -1/+10It's amazing how in spite of that fact you say so little worth listening to.
    • CoolDude330, on 06/10/2008, -0/+5And you wonder why he says there isn't any intelligent life on earth?
  • aserer511, on 06/10/2008, -3/+12"Have you ever thought about shutting up?" (stephen to annoying lady)
  • eggballs, on 06/10/2008, -4/+18The sarcasm was most likely directed at a small subset of the human population, its leaders.
    • Jpotts12, on 06/10/2008, -0/+3No actually...it was probably directed at it as a whole. People do stupid ***** all the time...don't you read the news?
      For the most part, the general population is not that smart.
      • eggballs, on 06/10/2008, -0/+0When I read comments like yours, I have to agree.

        Seriously, if you notice, he smiles after this question and the previous one, which strongly suggests--nay, confirms to all but the most clueless--that he was in fact joking.
      • buddypriefert, on 06/10/2008, -0/+0Somehow though I suppose you think you were the sperm cell that beat out all others because of your genius abilities. Nice going wiseguy.
  • Changa, on 06/10/2008, -2/+25The universe itself keeps on expanding and expanding
    In all of the directions it can whizz
    As fast as it can go, at the speed of light, you know,
    Twelve million miles a minute, and that's the fastest speed there is.
    So remember, when you're feeling very small and insecure,
    How amazingly unlikely is your birth,
    And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space,
    'Cause there's bugger all down here on Earth.
  • jjcyber, on 06/10/2008, -10/+6Well, you know it actually makes sense as to why we may not ever find intelligent life in the universe. Considering how we treat our planet and ouselves, why the ***** would any other sentient or intelligent species want to interact with us? For all we know all the signals we've been sending out have been received by intelligent beings...then deleted like so much spam mail.....
    • HairyFotr, on 06/10/2008, -0/+5Collective self-loathing doesn't help. Turn things into good positive suggestions for change and people (and if you want: potential aliens) might listen.
    • Scaryclouds, on 06/10/2008, -1/+1Yes since I'm sure any other intelligent race would surely bypassed any destruction/negligence to their own planet
      /sarcasm
    • jamesdew, on 06/11/2008, -1/+1maybe they have oil they can sell us
  • themagellan, on 06/10/2008, -17/+4haha I have legs. good game.
  • texas85, on 06/10/2008, -20/+3What exactly does he mean by Intelligent life? I think he is trying too hard to present himself as some sort of super human or something.
    • hazard99, on 06/10/2008, -0/+9Its a joke. Chill out.
    • MidnightRealism, on 06/10/2008, -2/+10Wow, a retarded Texan. Imagine that.
      • cawpin, on 06/10/2008, -7/+1Wow, a bigot outside of Texas, imagine that.
  • ColbyMoore88, on 06/10/2008, -6/+1We're gonna need more space monkeys.
  • surfchicky23, on 06/10/2008, -3/+11thanks, interesting video.
  • Balath, on 06/10/2008, -1/+30When he says he has just written a children's book, he means JUST then, he decided it was a good idea, came up with a good idea, wrote it with his daughter via telepathic link, and then answered the interviewer's question.
    • StreakyBacon19, on 06/10/2008, -1/+1Trying a little too hard. Still dugg you.
  • ColonelJessup, on 06/10/2008, -6/+12And, there are no signs of intelligent life here on digg either.
  • halobender, on 06/10/2008, -2/+17He said not much sign not no sign.
  • damnyooneek, on 06/10/2008, -13/+2i guess we're idiots in his eyes. screw him.
    • wrathbone, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1I'd like to see you try.
    • Skewler, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1it was sarcasm. He's british. they enjoy sarcasm.

      Do you want a lollipop?
  • Mononuclear, on 06/10/2008, -2/+6Someone needs to learn how to do an interview. This lady has to be the worst interviewer I have ever seen, and I have seen some pretty bad elementary school and junior high school kids trying to do interviews.
    • Skewler, on 06/10/2008, -0/+0She was interviewing a quadriplegic with an IQ of 200 or whatever it is.
      Think you could do better?
      • Mononuclear, on 06/10/2008, -0/+2yes I could. I think anyone could. Would it be much different than interviewing someone in a different language that is intelligent? You have to have to come up with good questions and the waiting for the response isn't a big deal the same as if you had to wait for a translator. Followup questions also work nicely, but that means you need to make the first question not utterly retarded so you can indeed delve deeper into the subject.
    • Waterrat, on 06/16/2008, -0/+1 And of corse she HAS to ask a religious question.
      Why must they drag religion into everything?
  • newbis, on 06/10/2008, -4/+24Wow! Stephen Hawking and I have similar feelings about God.
    • inthedoghouse, on 06/10/2008, -1/+1I think he is pretty correct in his statement that God follows law. Really cool observations.
    • provost, on 06/10/2008, -1/+6its funny.. i scanned all the comments just to see how all the 'science means there's no god, you are all idiots' atheists are reacting. Oddly enough, they all shut up as soon as stephen hawking talks.

      I have always been a proponent that science can neither prove or disprove God so there can only be theories. What is evident is that if there is such a thing as God, God either creates rules that he doesn't or cannot break, or God must abide by rules set forth by time and space in itself.

    • Sokkratez, on 06/11/2008, -1/+1I believe similarly as well.
  • qbthemc, on 06/10/2008, -23/+0ROFL@people trusting a crippled bum.
  • enivid, on 06/10/2008, -2/+7Hawking has become really bad ass since his "MC Hawking" phase.
    • DarkJesus, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1Damn right. He's dope like LSD.
    • Raptor007, on 06/10/2008, -2/+1"The mighty Stephen Hawking is a ***** Quake god; got my finger on the trigger and my eye on the quad. **QUAD DAMAGE**"
    • elementop, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1"E to the N to the T to the R to the O to the P to the Y"
    • DarkJesus, on 06/18/2008, -0/+1He'll pop you like a zit.
  • cavie2002, on 06/10/2008, -10/+3i dont see him going out and making a space ship, all bark and no bite
  • loringalta, on 06/10/2008, -0/+19I had just finish reading the calvin and hobbe's quote,

    "The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us."

    so you can imagine my surprise when I saw the front page of digg.
  • amilo000, on 06/10/2008, -3/+7I know he mentioned God but does he actualy believe in a God in the regular sense or is he just talking about the forces of the universe as God?
    • TGrimace, on 06/10/2008, -5/+4Does it matter?
    • heynoop, on 06/10/2008, -1/+7have you thought that maybe 'god in the regular sense' and 'the forces of the universe' are one in the same?
    • firas66, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1god created the forces in the universe, but he doesn't intervene to enforce them.
      I always like to believe that god in the thing the pushed the button that would make reality start.
      • 11familyguy11, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1Deism is the belief that there is a God that created the physical universe but does not interfere with it. It is related to a religious philosophy and movement that derives the existence and nature of God from reason.

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism
  • RodgerE1, on 06/10/2008, -2/+3It doesn't take a genius to figure that out.
  • liquidmetalband, on 06/10/2008, -7/+2When they were talking about writing a novel, you would think it would be really frustrating to have to sit there and be dictated what to write by that computer voice.

    Actually, I guess it just auto-feeds into a computer.
    • Mononuclear, on 06/10/2008, -0/+4umm yeah.. It wouldn't make a lot of sense for a computer to produce text to speech only for someone then to listen to the speech and put it back into text...
  • Michiko280, on 06/10/2008, -1/+15I heart Stephen Hawkings!
  • StevesJobs, on 06/10/2008, -4/+12i really want him to say "my roflcopter goes soi soi soi soi"
  • BuckCynnie, on 06/10/2008, -11/+2Hawking is far too overrated, his own arrogance is making himself sound a bit dumb.
    • Briandt75, on 06/10/2008, -1/+4calling the most intelligent man on planet earth "dumb" doesn't really do much to help you win whatever argument you're trying to make. In fact this phrase "Hawking is far too overrated, his own arrogance is making himself sound a bit dumb." is so comically misdirected at Hawking and not yourself, it's maybe the funniest thing I've heard all week.
      • dopplerdog, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1There are many people like him in his field who have made contributions that are just as significant, if not more significant, than he has. These figures, however, are not as well known. Taking nothing away from the man, Hawking is well known for many reasons, not least of which is his medical condition.

        Again, I don't mean to take anything away from the man (I can only dream of making a contribution like Hawking), but lets not forget that there are many other theorists in the field of gravitation who are just as important yet are completely unknown to the general public.

        Surely you calling him "the most intelligent man on planet earth" is simply an example of what BuckCynnie referred to when he said "overrated". Give Hawking credit for his work - don't turn him into some sort of superhero, it demeans the field.
      • BuckCynnie, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1Have you guys spent anytime objectively reading any of his books, even one of his greatest "accomplishments", his theory of black holes, he concedes was incorrect.

        If you want to learn about intelligent life on earth, read a Carl Sagan book.
    • myass666mlong, on 06/10/2008, -1/+2hahah good one einstein ;)
  • ManicMyna, on 06/10/2008, -11/+0does anyone than his mrs want to give the crip a beat down?
  • sinseeker, on 06/10/2008, -7/+5I would have to agree with him. In order for the human civilization to continue, we must go into space. Of course Obama wants to stop that.
  • Rainemaker, on 06/10/2008, -1/+6"Hey Hawking, I'm still waiting for my encyclopedia."
    ~Sincerely,
    Kip Thorne
    • Chromium24, on 06/10/2008, -1/+3If you don't know what he's talking about, don't digg him down. That was genius.
    • yellowcakewalk, on 06/11/2008, -1/+2lmao
    • PALMARY, on 07/02/2008, -0/+1The REAL "Kip Thorne" is Dr Kip Thorne, and is or was teaching physics at Caltech. Dr Thorne might be one of the very few people who could legitimately offer seemingly impertinent comments in having EARNED the credentials to do so.
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