Stephen Hawking is about to test his theory about the future of the human race in a BBC documentary.
In what the British broadcaster is calling a “landmark” two-part series, Hawking will explore his belief that humans must colonize another planet within 100 years if we are to survive.
The University of Cambridge professor will travel the world alongside his former student Christophe Galfard and engineering professor, Danielle George, in search of answers.
The trio will investigate technological possibilities including plasma rockets and human hibernation, the BBC said. It added that the programme will show Hawking’s ambition “isn’t as fantastical as it sounds.”
Titled “Expedition New Earth,” the television show will air later this year and is made by Brook Lapping, the production company behind documentaries including “Inside Obama’s White House.”
Hawking spelt out his theory last year in a talk at the Oxford Union debating society, where he claimed humanity probably only has about 1,000 years left before extinction.
“We must also continue to go into space for the future of humanity,” he said. “I don’t think we will survive another 1,000 years without escaping beyond our fragile planet.”
In his 74 years, Hawking has spoken several times about our doomed fate, with the risk of things like nuclear war increasing as well as the oncoming threat of global warming. He has also warned that the development of artificial intelligence could end mankind.
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