Physicist Stephen Hawking has warned humanity that we probably only have about 1,000 years left on Earth, and the only thing that could save us from certain extinction is setting up colonies elsewhere in the Solar System.

"[W]e must ... continue to go into space for the future of humanity," Hawking said in a lecture at the University of Cambridge last week. "I don’t think we will survive another 1,000 years without escaping beyond our fragile planet."

According to The Washington Post, the risk of mass extinction heightens as humans stay on Earth longer. Hawking, during his hour-long speech, urged humans to go into space for survival as humankind itself will be the reason to the Earth's demise through its continual and rapid use of the planet's resources.

“We must ... continue to go into space for the future of humanity,” said Hawking as quoted by Daily Express. “I don’t think we will survive another 1,000 years without escaping beyond our fragile planet.

Hawking, who has said he wanted to go into space on Virgin boss Richard Branson's Ride Virgin Atlantic spaceship, continued: 'I therefore want to encourage public interest in space, and I have been getting my training in early.'
Professor Hawking added: 'It has been a glorious time to be alive and doing research in theoretical physics.

'Our picture of the universe has changed a great deal in the last 50 years and I am happy if I have made a small contribution.

Source: dailymail.co.uk, sciencealert.com