He is better known for wrestling with the mysterious forces that shape our universe and the existential threat posed by technology.
But physicist Stephen Hawking now fears greed could be the undoing of the human race.
The University of Cambridge professor has warned that the unequal divide of wealth between individuals and countries is one of the most divisive issues of our time.
He claims envy and isolationism is being bred by the way money is currently shared and this may have contributed to the result of the European Union Brexit referendum result in Britain.
Prior to the vote, Professor Hawking had campaigned against leaving the EU due to the impact he believes it will have on access to funding for British scientists.
But writing for the Guardian, Professor Hawking said the Brexit result was driving by a sense of inequality among those that voted to leave the EU.
He added that humanity needs to collaborate and change our assumptions of wealth and possessions if it is to tackle challenges like climate change, disease, food production and overpopulation.
Professor Hawking said: `If we fail then the forces that contributed to Brexit, the envy and isolationism not just in the UK but around the world that spring from not sharing, of cultures driven by a narrow definition of wealth and a failure to divide it more fairly, both within nations and across national borders, will strengthen.
`If that were to happen, I would not be optimistic about the long-term outlook for our species.`
Professor Hawking initially found fame after battling motor neuron disease to develop ground-breaking theories about black holes.
More recently, however, he has started making predictions that technologies such as artificial intelligence could ultimately doom the human race if not developed with care.
He has also strayed into the realms of politics, joining dozens of other scientists to warn against leaving the European Union.
Recently he also said he struggled to understand the popularity of US Presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Source: Mail
But physicist Stephen Hawking now fears greed could be the undoing of the human race.
The University of Cambridge professor has warned that the unequal divide of wealth between individuals and countries is one of the most divisive issues of our time.
He claims envy and isolationism is being bred by the way money is currently shared and this may have contributed to the result of the European Union Brexit referendum result in Britain.
Prior to the vote, Professor Hawking had campaigned against leaving the EU due to the impact he believes it will have on access to funding for British scientists.
But writing for the Guardian, Professor Hawking said the Brexit result was driving by a sense of inequality among those that voted to leave the EU.
He added that humanity needs to collaborate and change our assumptions of wealth and possessions if it is to tackle challenges like climate change, disease, food production and overpopulation.
Professor Hawking said: `If we fail then the forces that contributed to Brexit, the envy and isolationism not just in the UK but around the world that spring from not sharing, of cultures driven by a narrow definition of wealth and a failure to divide it more fairly, both within nations and across national borders, will strengthen.
`If that were to happen, I would not be optimistic about the long-term outlook for our species.`
Professor Hawking initially found fame after battling motor neuron disease to develop ground-breaking theories about black holes.
More recently, however, he has started making predictions that technologies such as artificial intelligence could ultimately doom the human race if not developed with care.
He has also strayed into the realms of politics, joining dozens of other scientists to warn against leaving the European Union.
Recently he also said he struggled to understand the popularity of US Presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Source: Mail
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