If intelligent alien life forms do exist out in the vastnessof the space, they might not be the friendly cosmic neighbors the people ofEarth are looking for, famed British scientist Stephen Hawking says in a newtelevision series chronicling his work to explore the secrets of the universe.
An advanced spacefaring extraterrestrialcivilization could end up wandering the universe in enormous spaceships onthe prowl for vital materials after consuming the natural resources of theirown world, Hawking explains in an episode of the show "Into the Universewith Stephen Hawking," which premiered Sunday onthe Discovery Channel.
"Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads,looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they could reach,"Hawking said. "If so, it makes sense for them to exploit each new planetfor material to build more spaceships so they could move on. Who knows what thelimits would be?"
In the four-part series, Hawking explores topics such asaliens, time travel, and the origin of the universe.
In one episode, he suggests an alien species could becapable of harnessing solarenergy to open up a wormhole in space to travel to distant parts of theuniverse.
"It might be possible to collect the energy from anentire star," he says. "To do that they could deploy millions ofmirrors in space, encircling the whole sun and feeding the power to one singlecollection point."
Hawking, one of the world's most famous scientists, is aBritish theoretical physicist and former professor at Cambridge University inEngland. He gained fame through his bestselling book, "A Brief History ofTime."
Hawking is almost completely paralyzed from theneurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He communicatesthrough an electronic voice synthesizer.
In 2007, Hawking got a taste of spaceflight during a trip aboarda modified jet that allowed him to experience the sensation of weightlessnessas the aircraft flew in a series of parabolic arcs.
The next episode of the Hawking's new television series,"The Story of Everything," premieres Sunday, May 2 at 9:00 p.m. ET.
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