Stephen Hawking asks big questions about the universe

In keeping with the theme of TED2008, professor Stephen Hawking asks some Big Questions about our universe -- How did the universe begin? How did life begin? Are we alone? -- and discusses how we might go about answering them.

Stephen Hawking asks big questions about the universe

"I think it quite likely that we are the only civilization within several hundred light years, otherwise we would have heard radio waves. The alternative is that civilizations don't last very long, but destroy themselves." -- Stephen Hawking

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A brief history of (the end of) time

Stephen Hawking's blockbuster A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes has sold 25 million copies. Cynics say it is the least read best-seller since the Bible. His next book will be ambitiously called 'The Grand Design', but here are ideas for the three biggest perils that he believes threaten humanity.

Chapter 1: GM virus - the plague next time

Most of the threats we face come from the progress we have made in science and technology. Often they make natural ones worse. Take the pandemics that occasionally sweep through the world killing millions. Influenza has been the worst culprit, and if the bird flu now spreading round the world mutates it could be one of the worst plagues yet. But the release - by accident or design - of a virus, genetically modified so that people could not resist it, would be far worse.

Chapter 2: Not with a whimper, but with a bang

Nine countries have nuclear weapons, and Iran and North Korea are believed to be developing them. Terrorists seek them and there are more than enough weapons held by existing nuclear powers to destroy the planet. Some experts think a nuclear conflict in the coming decades is inevitable.

Chapter 3: If it's not Mars, it could be Venus

Waiting until the ill-effects of global warming become obvious will be too late; action must be taken now. The warming process could run out of control, as "positive feedbacks" in the Earth's natural systems magnify it. That could lead to the planet becoming uninhabitable - turning it into a hot dead one like Venus, which has long been known to have suffered the ultimate greenhouse effect. -- The Independent

"I am just a child who has never grown up. I still keep asking these how and why questions. Occasionally, I find an answer." -- Stephen Hawking