On Monday, physicist Stephen Hawking encouraged a roomful of scholars gathered at the Oxford Union to continue efforts in space travel, characterizing the endeavor as being vital to humanity.

On Monday, physicist Stephen Hawking encouraged a roomful of scholars gathered at the Oxford Union to continue efforts in space travel, reports The Independent. 
The endeavor was characterized as being vital to humanity. 
Said Hawking, “I don’t think we will survive another one thousand years without escaping beyond our fragile planet."
He has, in the past, noted, “I believe that life on Earth is at an ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as a sudden nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus, or other dangers.”
Though, during his Oxford address, Hawking did offer a very dire view of our planet’s fate, he also expressed hope for the future of space exploration and discovery.
He told those gathered, “Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.”