When Stephen Hawking Talks, People Listen

Physicist Stephen Hawking says space settlement is required to ensure the survival of the human race in the event of natural or man-made catastrophe on Earth. While less well-known advocates of space settlement have been saying this for a long time, the Hawking announcement headlined the Drudge Report for much of the day, even with W in Iraq and Rove exonerated also happening today.

I would add that expansion into space is not only a way of ensuring the human race as a whole against extinction, but also a way of providing resources for future generations rather than fearing resource depletion from supposed 'overpopulation'.