Stephen Hawking may often be described as the most intelligent person alive today, and until recently, the astrophysicist warned about contact with alien beings. Now, however, Hawking has joined other researchers on expanding the search for extraterrestrial life.
Hawking has popularized the dangers of extraterrestrial contact since 2010. His theory is that alien civilizations able to contact humans could be so advanced, they may have little to no remorse over wiping us out, comparing it to a person stepping on an ant hill.
"A civilization reading one of our messages could be billions of years ahead of us. If so, they will be vastly more powerful, and may not see us as any more valuable than we see bacteria," Hawking told attendees at the Breakthrough convention.
The famed astrophysicist has also noted that our own species has a terrible history when it comes to technologically-superior civilizations making contact with more "primitive" people.
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