Stephen Hawking predicts man may live on the moon

Stephen Hawking has predicted that man may have self-sufficient settlements on the moon in another 20 years.

17 June 2006

Renowned 64-year-old physicist Stephen Hawking has predicted that man may reach the moon and establish settlements there within the next 20 years. He has also predicted that there will be a human colony on Mars by the year 2046.

Hawking who is visiting Hong Kong to deliver a lecture on the Origin of The Universe urged that space exploration is of vital importance, given the increasing risk of nuclear wars and reducing resources on earth, to find new habitations. 

In a press conference in Hong Kong he is reported to have said, "It is important for the human race to spread out into space for the survival of the species. Life on Earth is at the ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as sudden global warming, nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus or other dangers we have not yet thought of. We won't find anywhere as nice as Earth unless we go to another star system."

He further said that if humans can avoid killing themselves in the next 100 years, they should have space settlements that can continue without support from Earth.

Hawking who is ailing from a rare neurological disorder called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis has done pioneering research on black holes and the origins of the universe. He has also authored the bestseller A Brief History of Time.

At the press conference, Hawking also announced that he is planning to write a children's book about the universe along with his 35-year-old daughter Lucy Hawking.