Shouldn't the main reason that humans should expand into space is due to overpopulation than a disaster?

Question

I refer to Stephen Hawking's statement about the human race needed to expand into space in the event of a disaster to Earth. I find the movie "Soylent Green" to be a very real possibility.

Answer 1

Ask 10 different scientists about the environment, pollution, genetics, and you'll get 10 different answers. The one thing that they can all agree on, is that whether it happens in 100 years, or 100,000,000 years, our sun WILL eventually grow cold and die out. When that happens, it'll not only take us, but Buddy Holly, Laut Su, Aristotle, Marylin Monroe, Plato, Davinci, Elvis, all that came before. Unless we go to the stars, all of this will be lost, and then what would've been the point of our existence?

Answer 2

No, I don't think so. Look at how many people moved from Europe to America, but Europe still has a large population. We could never send people off the Earth as fast as new ones are being born, we just will never have that many space ships. No, Hawking (and others) just want more than one center of human habitation so that, if one is destroyed, it does not make the human race go extinct.

Answer 3

Humans are cells in the body of Humanity. HUMANITY, as a maturing, distinct biological entity is now feeling the natural desire to procreate. We want to create another Humanity, perhaps on Mars. We sense our mortality.

Answer 4

Overpopulation is a disaster but it is RACIST if you dare to mention it. About 97 percent of population growth is from dirt poor countries !!!

Answer 5

No, the reason we should expand into space is that I think Klingon women are hot.

The real reason is that is there and we can develop the technology to go there.

Answer 6

Do you think man today, is smart enough to get out while the getting is good?