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Ljudi moraju da kolonizuju planete u drugim solarnim sistemima, putujuci tehnikom koja se koristi u Zvezdanim stazama, ili ce biti istrebljeni, kaze poznati britanski kosmolog.
Hawking je za BBC radio izjavio da teoretski napredak moze da donese revoluciju u putovanju kroz kosmos brzinama svetlosti - koriscenjem tehnologije potiranja materije-antimaterije (Skoti, daj nam snage za warp  )
Star Trek fires up rocket scientist Stephen Hawking
Monday December 4, 2006
People must colonise planets in other solar systems, travelling there using Star Trek-style propulsion, or face extinction, says renowned British cosmologist Stephen Hawking.
Referring to complex theories and the speed of light, Professor Hawking, the wheelchair-bound Cambridge University physicist, told BBC radio that theoretical advances could revolutionise the velocity of space travel and make such colonies possible.
"Sooner or later disasters such as an asteroid collision or a nuclear war could wipe us all out," said the mathematics professor, who was crippled by motor neurone disease at the age of 21 and who speaks through a computerised voice synthesiser.
"But once we spread out into space and establish independent colonies, our future should be safe," said Professor Hawking, who has just been presented the world's oldest award for scientific achievement, the Copley Medal, by the Royal Society.
Previous winners include Louis Pasteur, Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin and Captain Cook.
Professor Hawking said that in order to survive, humanity would have to venture off to other hospitable planets orbiting another star, but conventional chemical fuel rockets that took man to the moon on the Apollo mission would take 50,000 years to travel there.
The 64-year-old father of three, who wrote the best-selling A Brief History of Time, suggested propulsion such as that used by the fictional starship Enterprise "to boldly go where no man has gone before" could help solve the problem.
"Science fiction has developed the idea of warp drive, which takes you instantly to your destination," he said. "Unfortunately, this would violate the scientific law which says that nothing can travel faster than light."
However, by using "matter/anti-matter annihilation", velocities just below the speed of light could be reached, making it possible to reach the next star in about six years.
"It wouldn't seem so long for those on board," he said.
The scientist revealed he also wanted to try out space travel himself - by more conventional means.
"I am not afraid of death but I'm in no hurry to die. My next goal is to go into space," said Professor Hawking, pinning his hopes on British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson.
- REUTERS
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10413598
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