Stephen Hawking's chilling alien doomsday prediction spreads as scientist issues alarming warning
Hawking, the famous theoretical physicist who died in 2018, warned the world that making contact with alien life could end in disaster for the human race.
The late professor believed that actively seeking out extraterrestrials would bring on a deadly invasion, similar to how cultures on Earth have wiped out less advanced civilizations in the past.
'The extraterrestrials would probably be far in advance of us, 'Professor Hawking said in 2004. 'The history of advanced races meeting more primitive people on this planet is not very happy, and they were the same species. I think we should keep our heads low.'
He advocated for more passive searches for intelligent life, such as listening for alien radio signals, rather than actively broadcasting our presence to the universe.
Hawking's grim message was recently revisited by an international team of researchers studying the so-called 'intelligence trap.'
This concept has suggested that overconfidence could lead to disastrous consequences. In this case, successfully contacting a UFO could draw the attention of a malevolent species that destroys humanity.
Hawking's words have gained even more traction after a respected Harvard astrophysicist suggested that the mysterious object barreling toward Earth this December could be a hostile UFO.
Professor Avi Loeb and other scientists have conducted multiple studies involving interstellar object 3I/ATLAS since it was discovered approaching our solar system in late June.
Although some astronomers have declared 3I/ATLAS to be a giant comet, Loeb contended there are signs it was artificially created, including its extremely unusual course that will make close passes by Venus, Mars, and Jupiter.
This led Loeb to warn that such a craft and the beings who control it would have one of two motives for visiting our solar system, one being harmless and the other being hostile.
'The consequences, should the hypothesis turn out to be correct, could potentially be dire for humanity, and would possibly require defensive measures to be undertaken (though these might prove futile),' Loeb wrote in a study on the pre-print server arXiv on July 17.
3I/ATLAS is expected to pass within 223 million miles of Earth on December 17, speeding through the solar system at more than 41 miles per second (roughly 150,000 miles per hour).
'The late Stephen Hawking believed that direct contact with advanced alien civilizations would inevitably lead to the colonization of Earth by aliens,' US and Iranian researchers wrote in the Journal of Biomedical Physics and Engineering in 2024.
The study examining Hawking's warning explained how the 'intelligence trap' suggests that highly intelligent individuals may be prone to cognitive biases, such as overconfidence or relying on past experiences, leading to flawed decision-making.
While some scientists believe there are immeasurable benefits of contacting aliens, the study authors supported Hawking's cautious stance, claiming that broadcasting Earth's location to other worlds could be a 'tactical mistake.'
Prior to his death from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) at the age of 76, Hawking added that humans should also be hesitant about answering any signals sent to Earth.
In 2016, Hawking said Gliese 832c, a planet 16 light years away, could be home to intelligent life.
However, if we were to meet an advanced civilization, he warned it could turn out similar to when the Native Americans first encountered Christopher Columbus.
'Gazing at the stars, I always imagined there was someone up there looking back', Hawking said during the film titled 'Stephen Hawking's Favorite Places.'
'As I grow older, I am more convinced than ever that we are not alone,' the theoretical physicist continued.
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