I firmly believe in what Stephen Hawking says - that if we don't

Hear now the bold and urgent words of Jolene Blalock: “I firmly believe in what Stephen Hawking says—that if we don’t get off this planet, we’re going to go berserk. We have to have more space.” This cry is not mere fantasy of the stars, but a vision of necessity, born from the deep wisdom of one of the greatest minds of our age and echoed by those who see the restless spirit of humanity. It is a truth that calls us to look beyond the cradle of Earth, lest the cradle become a coffin.

To say we must leave this planet is to confess both its beauty and its limits. Earth has nourished us, sheltered us, and given us all that we know. Yet it is finite: its lands can be exhausted, its air poisoned, its waters drained. Its peoples, bound by borders and rivalries, often turn against one another, warring over scarce resources. Hawking, and Blalock after him, warn that without the dream of outward expansion, without the opening of new horizons, we will collapse inward upon ourselves, consumed by conflict and despair.

History teaches us this pattern. Think of the great Age of Exploration. When Europe was hemmed in by its own rivalries, with kingdoms at war and markets strained, explorers sailed into the unknown seas. Columbus, Magellan, and Zheng He opened new worlds, new trade, new possibilities. Not all was noble—much was marred by conquest and cruelty—but the impulse to expand released pressure, gave restless societies room to breathe, to grow, to change. So too now, Blalock and Hawking declare, must we seek new frontiers—not across oceans, but across the void of space.

And look to the story of the American frontier. When cities grew crowded and industries consumed the land, the vast West called settlers onward. “Go West,” they were told, and though hardship awaited, so did opportunity. The frontier gave room for the spirit of innovation, resilience, and freedom to thrive. Now, as our modern world grows crowded with billions of souls, and as technology accelerates faster than the wisdom to guide it, humanity again cries for a new frontier. Space is that frontier: infinite, untamed, waiting.

Blalock’s words—“we’re going to go berserk”—speak to the danger of stagnation. A people with no horizon loses vision. A humanity with no frontier loses hope. When confined, the human spirit festers, and conflict multiplies. But when given new ground—be it literal or cosmic—the spirit awakens. This is why the dream of colonizing Mars, of building stations among the stars, of stretching a hand beyond the solar system, is not merely science—it is survival. It is the continuation of the human story.

Yet, O listener, let us not mistake escape for neglect. To seek more space does not mean abandoning Earth, our first and sacred home. Just as a child leaves the home of their birth but still honors their parents, so must humanity go outward while preserving the world that bore us. Space must become not a flight from responsibility but a continuation of our growth. To guard Earth while reaching beyond it—this is the balance we must seek.

The lesson is clear: do not fear the unknown heavens, nor grow complacent in the comfort of the familiar. Embrace the vision of Blalock and Hawking: that space is not luxury but destiny, not fantasy but necessity. In your heart, nurture wonder for the stars. Support the seekers, the scientists, the dreamers who prepare the path. And remember always: when humanity ceases to expand, it ceases to thrive. The stars above are not unreachable—they are invitations. And to accept them is to preserve both our sanity and our survival.