Page 7 - John Smithson News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Began 14.7 billion years ago. and how might all end. it just, it's really beyond ultimate story. >> larry: let me get a break and come right back with john smithson and ben buoy. steven hawking, by the way is coming up. first, how would we respond if alien life landed on earth? chlor-trimeton relieves itchy, watery eyes and sneezing for 12 full hours with less drowsiness than benadryl. it does all that? chlor-trimeton. less drowsy relief that lasts 12 hours. i switched to a complete multivitamin with more. only one a day men's 50+ advantage... has gingko for memp$y and concentration. plus supp...

Because it really is one of the big questions we all face. are we alone in this planet of ours? and we're talking even if it is one in a billion, then there are billions of dollars. so we're playing a big numbers game here. >> larry: john, was this fun to do? is he easy to work with? >> it was -- it was fun, but it's probably the most complex and challenging program i've ever been involved with because you're dealing with the most ferociously complicated story, most ferociously complicated science imaginable, but we were trying to make it in a way that people like myself could understand. so i...

Qualified to answer that, but i don't think so. >> larry: john -- well, ben, you first. the tendency has been to kind of dismiss this, until mr. hawking arrived, as kind of kooky, right? >> i think that -- you know, maybe it's been overstated slightly from what he actually says in the film. what he says in the film is that if intelligent aliens exist -- that a big if -- and if they were to meet us -- that's another big if -- then we might be wise to treat them with caution. it's not stephen saying as far as i know in any way, stephen is not saying aliens are coming, we've got to hide under the...

Do you think we would be hostile or not hostile to another environment coming here? >> do i think -- i don't think you can really say. i think the only thing you can say is you don't know. if you don't know caution seems to be the most sensible approach. so i'm not one to call whether aliens will come here and stroke us and pet us or zap up with lazers. i think we just don't know, and, therefore, you can't really say. you can't say one way or another. you can just think that maybe caution would be a good idea. >> larry: steven theorizes the negative aspect, does he not, john? >> he rightly thi...

So it was -- it was brain numbingly difficult, but also really good fun. and steven hawking is just a remarkable man. i mean, he -- he just has this presence. everyone feels it. we did something with him last night in london, and the whole room stops when he comes in. he has, you know, it's weird. we almost talk of him as a rock star of science. he has this extraordinary aura about him, and we just know that trapped in this body that he can't use is this quite brilliant brain. there's something about that that's such a powerful and pointed image, it seems to touch people. >> larry: john smiths...