Humans will NOT survive another 1,000 years on Earth, says Stephen Hawking: Physicist warns we must 'escape beyond our fragile planet'

Can't survive too much longer with the current population numbers. We are already double+ the long term number of humans for our civilisation to survive. Tough choices that we just won't make. We will continue breeding mindlessly until we destroy ourselves. Sad, but true.

As others have said below, reducing the human population by cutting the birth rate is the answer to most of the planet's problems. Especially true of the serial overbreeders who tend to be at the lower end of the evolutionary chain. Will be an unpopular comment but the truth often is uncomfortable.

What for humanity is doing a great job of ruining the planet so why do we want to go and destroy another? The world would be a beautiful place but for the people on it and before you reply with idiotic statements that includes me and you for we are all playing our part in one way or another.

He may be good at physics and Maths but he is clearly a plonker when it comes to the environment. If we cannot make a success of our wonderful planet with its perfect living conditions and amazing abundance of complex interlocking biological systems, due only to our stupidity, pollution and self interest, then how are we going to live in space or other planets which lack even the most basic elements of life. There are NO habitable planets in our solar system and even if we knew of any outside of that, it would take life times to get there. Yet so far, nobody has ever created a self sufficient self maintaining environment on Earth, let alone what would be necessary for long term space travel.

It won't last that long if we continue to entertain the middle age living religion.

if humans cant make earth (a planet perfectly suited for human life) work for themselves, what makes him think humans could make somewhere else work. he is supposed to be smart right?

tis best and most wonderful to see nature untouched and unspoiled by humanity, that applies to this and any other planet. Man will never be fit to habit other worlds because either Capitalism, Socialism or Religion will always ruin what nature created.

The worst thing that ever happened to this beautiful planet was the human bloody race! Greedy, destructive, over-populating demons!

I don't think we will. And after what we've done to the planet and its animals, do we deserve to live another millenia unless we change radically?

I give it within 50-100 years. It will be wildlife and insect decimation (already 67% of wildlife lost in 45 years and growing). Without those the ecosystem is toast and we're done.Regarding space colonies, only the elite will be on board any rocket heading up, so forget it.

Stephen Hawking will not survive another 1000 years on earth. Of that, I am certain.

Overpopulation is the key. The taboo subject no one will ever be brave enough to address.

Steve us mere mortals think if we get to 2017 in one piece it will be good

Oh well its not like any of us are gonna be around for it

Hope all the cats, dogs, rabbits and mice survive!

He is such an optimist!

I do wonder sometimes if this chap is, literally, on the same planet as the rest of us! There is NO reachable replacment plant within a human life span. Please don't bore me with your ScFi Warp drives, worm holes, terra forming or cryogenic suspension, it is ALL theory and ain't gonna happen any time within the next millenia. Our best chance is to stay put and deal with the consequences, life has survived other cataclysmic events and without the intellegence to do so in the past. Sure we may not be able to sustain an ever increasing population an perhaps not even the current one but a core of humanity will survive and continue to do so beyond the next 1000 years.This chap has an ego and desire to go in to space, don't we all, but the pollution caused by space travel does more damage for the rest of us than it is worth, especially if it is done for vanity reasons.

It wont be nuclear or a virus - it will be plastic. It's poisoning everything.

The world has to cope with high levels of human breeding in places that can't sustain them, and mass exodus to places that struggle to cope with them

Unlimited human population increase versus limited resources to sustain life. We should at most just be replacing ourselves.