We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet.
Stephen HawkingRead
Life on Earth is at the ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as sudden global nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus or other dangers we have not yet thought of.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the fragility of life on Earth and the ever-present risks that could lead to its annihilation.
Stephen Hawking's quote highlights the precariousness of human existence on Earth, warning that our planet is vulnerable to numerous catastrophic events. He points out potential threats such as nuclear war and biological hazards, urging humanity to recognize these risks and prepare to address them. This serves as a reminder of our responsibility to safeguard the future of life on Earth in the face of both known and unknown dangers.
Themes
LifeEarthRiskDisasterPreparedness
In practice
Example use cases
In a keynote speech about environmental sustainability, one might quote Hawking to illustrate the urgent need for action.
More from Stephen Hawking
All quotes →I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.
Stephen HawkingRead
It surprises me how disinterested we are today about things like physics, space, the universe and philosophy of our existence, our purpose, our final destination. Its a crazy world out there. Be curious.
Stephen HawkingRead
I was not a good student. I did not spend much time at college; I was too busy enjoying myself.
Stephen HawkingRead
The world has changed far more in the past 100 years than in any other century in history. The reason is not political or economic but technological-technologies that flowed directly from advances in basic science. Clearly, no scientist better represents those advances than Albert Einstein: TIME's Person of the Century.
Stephen HawkingRead
In my opinion, there is no aspect of reality beyond the reach of the human mind.
Stephen HawkingRead
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It is time, therefore, to abandon the superstition that natural science cannot be regarded as logically respectable until philosophers have solved the problem of induction. The problem of induction is, roughly speaking, the problem of finding a way to prove that certain empirical generalizations which are derived from past experience will hold good also in the future.
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Everyone has a story; everyone hides his past as a means of self-preservation. Some just do it better, and more thoroughly, than others.
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Suffering can make saints of people as they learn patience, long-suffering and self-mastery.
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