Last week, world renowned physicist Stephen Hawking gave a talk in honor of NASA's 50th anniversary on the value of human space exploration. If anyone knows the value of not ignoring pressing realities of the day, but still keeping an eye on the bigger picture and insuring that you are devoting resources to the bigger goals of life, it's Stephen Hawking.

There will be those who argue that it would be better to spend our money solving the problems of this planet ...I am not denying the importance of fighting climate change and global warming, but we can do that and still spare a quarter of a percent of world GDP for space. Isn't our future worth a quarter of percent?

Hawking, 66, has been in a wheelchair most of his adult life and lost his ability to speak in 1985, but has still managed to write a book, make a movie and even float weightless in zero gravity thanks to some key computer technology, the support of some extraordinary people. His website notes in his lecture "Life in the Universe" he states that with regard to intelligent life: "I shall take this to include the human race, even though much of its behaviour through out history, has been pretty stupid, and not calculated to aid the survival of the species."

Hawking was making the case in this lecture that going into space is critical to our survival as a species.

It will completely change the future of the human race and maybe determine whether we have any future at all. It won't solve any of our immediate problems on Planet Earth, but it will give us a new perspective on them and cause us to look outwards and inwards. Hopefully, it would unite us to face a common challenge.

His inspiring lecture even included his daughter Lucy who has co-authored a book with him to get kids excited about science called, "George's Secret Key to the Universe." They are working together to get young people excited about studying math and science again, like they were during Apollo. "We live in a society that is increasingly governed by science and technology, yet fewer and fewer young people long to go into science," said Dr Hawking.

The talk has gotten people thinking about the future of humanity and what we should do next. LiveScience reported Friday that a Sergeant in Afghanistan (Sgt Ruth) even emailed them offering him and his men as the scout party for a group of human space settlers.

We are conditioned to live with the bare minimal (of) life’s necessities and are trained to be prepared for … the worst conditions that any environment could throw at us ... Me and most of my men are on our 3rd or 4th deployment into a combat area ... We go before everyone else and spend time living off the land.

It is impressive. I know that most of my space science and engineering friends haven't spent many nights in the "worst conditions the environment can throw at us" and especially not for three or four tours. Maybe we would complain a little less about paperwork or bureaucratic processes if we had lived without the comforts of home and with the constant threat of danger for a year or two.

Thank you Sgt. Ruth, for your courage, your service, your interest in human space exploration and your willingness – as you say in the close of your letter– to make the ultimate sacrifice for your country, the entire human race.

Afghanistan Heroes Offer to Colonize Moon, Mars and Beyond [LiveScience]

NASA Lecture Series- Professor Hawking [NASA]

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Photo courtesy NASA