Stephen Hawking: If aliens call, we should be 'wary of answering' read more at here www.spinonews.com/index.php/item/984-stephen-hawking-if-aliens-call-we-should-be-wary-of-answering

Physicist Stephen Hawking is more convinced than ever that humans are not the only intelligent life form in the universe. If there are any intelligent alien life forms out there, we're playing a dangerous game by trying to contact them, he said.

The physicist believes if aliens discovered Earth, they are likely to want to conquer and colonise our planet.

The renowned theoretical physicists hosts “Stephen Hawking’s Favorite Places,” a new short film available on the streaming service Curiosity Stream. The film follows Hawking around the universe as he “travels” in a computer-generated imagery spacecraft, giving the audience a peek into simulations of a black hole and Gliese 832c, an earth-like planet outside our solar system that scientists believe may be able to support life.

'If aliens visit us, the outcome could be much like when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans,' he said in an interview.

The idea of a civilisation which has managed to survive far longer than we have...and the fact that that technology remains an aggressive one, to me, doesn't make sense,' he said.

Gazing at the stars I always imagined there was someone up there looking back, Hawking says during the film, titled ‘Stephen Hawking’s Favorite Places'.

As I grow older I am more convinced than ever that we are not alone.' 'After a lifetime of wondering, I am helping to lead a new global effort to find out. The Breakthrough Listen project will scan the nearest million stars for signs of life, but I know just the place to start looking.

One day we might receive a signal from a planet like Gliese 832c, but we should be wary of answering back.

 According to Hawking, the discovery of intelligent life would be the greatest scientific discovery in history.  “It would force us to change,” he said. “We would have to give up the idea that we are unique and start acting with more compassion and humility.”