Stephen Hawking Had Warned Against New Race of 'Superhumans' That Could Destroy Humanity
Monday, October 15, 2018 IST
Stephen Hawking left a collection of articles on what he called 'the big questions' in preparation for a book that will be published on Tuesday.
New Delhi: In his Final prediction, Stephen Hawking, one of the world's best-known theoretical physicists who died seven months ago, had suggested that genetic engineering was likely to create a new species of superhuman that could destroy the humanity from beyond the grave.
Hawking, who died in March at the age of 76, left a collection of articles on what he called “the big questions”, in preparation for a book that will be published on Tuesday.
“I am sure that during this century people will discover how to modify both intelligence and instincts such as aggression,” he wrote. “Laws will probably be passed against genetic engineering with humans. But some people won’t be able to resist the temptation to improve human characteristics, such as memory, resistance to disease and length of life.”
"Once such superhumans appear, there will be significant political problems with unimproved humans, who won't be able to compete," Hawking wrote.
“I am sure that during this century people will discover how to modify both intelligence and instincts such as aggression,” he wrote.
According to a report in The Guardian, Hawking’s comments refer to techniques such as Crispr-Cas9, a DNA-editing system that was invented six years ago. The system allows scientists to modify harmful genes or add new ones.
Related Topics
Trending News & Articles
ALMATY: Hour upon hour, day upon day, Omir Bekali and other detainees in far western China's new indoctrination camps had to disavow the...
Recently posted . 219K views . 1 min read
If you have payed attention to the belly buttons of people on the beach or the members of your family, you have probably noticed that they have different shapes and...
Recently posted . 10K views . 2 min read
The Langya henipavirus has a place with a similar group of infections, including Nipah, which is known to kill up to 3/4 of people in extreme cases.
Recently posted . 6K views . 1 min read
Queen's death: The eldest of her four children, Charles, Prince of Wales, who at 73 was the oldest heir apparent in British history, became king immediately...
Recently posted . 6K views . 1 min read
More in Global
With coronavirus a major threat to business premises today, it is very important to do whatever it takes to protect yourself, staff, and customers. One of the best ...
Recently posted. 931 views . 2 min read
One might boast highly about their intelligence based on their IQ. Some may have an IQ lesser than a few others but this doesn’t make them dumb at all.
Recently posted. 991 views . 1 min read
The viral video shows how to peel a boiled egg cleanly and within seconds.
Recently posted. 882 views . 0 min read
Recently posted . 1K views
Recently posted . 1K views
Recently posted . 2K views
Recently posted . 2K views
Recently posted . 3K views . 140 min read
Recently posted . 4K views . 52 min read
Indian-American woman, Rao, faced fierce questioning from Democrats not just for her work in the Trump administration but for commentary she wrote decades ago as ...
Recently posted. 1K views . 1 min read
Whether you prefer to throw on a statement or layer your favourite pieces, we’ve broken down 2018’s biggest jewellery trends. With everything from hoop ...
Recently posted. 793 views . 1 min read