THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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Stephen Hawking on science and its dangers

Stephen Hawking on science and its dangers

Leading scientist has warned against our way of evolution

When one of the world’s top scientists and most brilliant minds of our time warns that science is posing great dangers to humanity, we should stop and listen. Professor Stephen Hawking, in a high-profile international lecture earlier this month, noted that nuclear war, global warming and genetically-engineered viruses could potentially destroyer human beings. In effect, he has sounded an alarm bell against complacency, saying although the threats seem relatively small at the moment, they are adding up over time.
Negative predictions related to scientific progress do not come from leading scientists very often. It’s not uncommon for Prof Hawking, though, to use the “middle path” in analysing science’s key developments. The BBC has noted that on previous occasions Hawking has brought public attention to the potential risk of artificial intelligence (AI) becoming powerful enough to cause the extinction of the human race. That said a lot about the alarmist in him, because AI has not faced the same concern as, say, nuclear weaponry.
There is a saying that whatever science can do, nobody will be able to stop. If that was true, it would mean Prof Hawking’s warning is irrelevant. Cloning is still going on. Genetic manipulation is taking place in various forms. If nuclear bombs can wipe out humanity, chances are someday they will – so this theory goes. It’s like having a gun in the house. The owner has it for self-defence, but the weapon may just be used against loved ones instead.
We have been able to avoid a nuclear war and make the world scared of global warming and genetically-engineered viruses, but the truth is that all three remain and the risks have not been reduced one bit. Another alarming truth is that far stronger species that ruled this plan
 et far longer than us went extinct thanks to far fewer factors.
Some people think that species face new threats all the time because they evolve constantly. Without tangible threats, evolution can stop, they say. Man-made extinction-level threats, therefore, are something to be expected. So, how much should we fear Prof Hawking’s warning? The answer lies in his credentials and status as guardian of the scientific discipline. Despite having the debilitating motor neurone disease, he has shown determination to overcome the immense physical challenges and remain one of the world’s leading |scientific truth-seekers.
If Prof Hawking should be scrutinised for his analysis, he should be questioned for his apparent “opti?mism”. He doesn’t foresee a world-wide, man-made disaster in the near future, and suggests that by the time this planet becomes uninhabitable, mankind should be able to establish colonies on other worlds. The chance of a disaster on planet Earth is adding up over time and could become a near certainty in the next thousand years, he said. For the moment, he stressed, “we have to be very careful.”
Optimists have to hope that, over the next thousand years, a nuclear war won't break out, the global warming threat will defuse, superpowers’ militaries will stop producing genetically-engineered viruses and get rid of all existing ones, and only good people have access to potentially harmful technologies. Having said this, people like Stephen Hawking have no choice but be opti?mistic about scientific progress, or they might betray their work and all they have stood for. That Prof Hawking, an inspirational voice of our time, has warned us, albeit in a subtle and prudent manner, of the potential dangers of science, should be taken seriously.
 
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