Don’t talk to aliens, warns Stephen Hawking

April 25, 2010 | Source: The Sunday Times

Hawking believes that contact with intelligent aliens could be devastating for humanity.

“I imagine they might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources from their home planet. Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they can reach.”

He concludes that trying to make contact with alien races is “a little too risky”. He said: “If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn’t turn out very well for the Native Americans.”

Stephen Hawking’s Universe begins on the Discovery Channel on April 25 at 9pm in the U.S. and May 9 at 9pm in the U.K. – Ed.