Space
Do you think that the space program is in worse shape than it was in the 1960s?
People say, "Has the space program stalled?" The answer is it hasn't. Although, I agree the demand for space hasn't gone as quickly as we thought it might have is the 1960s. There are various reasons for that. First of all, the Americans put all their cosmic eggs into one basket -- the shuttle, and that has caused problems. Secondly, the Russians ran out of money. But, of course, the unmanned declaration of space has gone ahead in leaps and bounds. We've sent probes everywheres. We have done wonders there. So the unmanned version has gone right ahead. It is the manned version that has temporarily stalled. If all goes well then we believe we will get back into space soon. It depends upon two things, I think. Firstly, do we want to do it? Any more silly wars, well then we won't. And that is up to ourselves. If we are prepared to look after ourselves and run ourselves properly then we will go back and we'll have men on the moon and on Mars in the foreseeable future. The other main problem, of course, is radiation. That is a problem beyond the earth's atmosphere, but I think we will come up with a cure for that.
Do you think that there is life in the solar system other than our own?
I belong to the solar system, and I think we can say definitely there's no intelligent life in the solar system except possibly on the earth, and I'm not sure about that. Lower forms of life? Possibly on Mars, possibly on Jupiter, but nothing more than that. On the other hand, that doesn't mean to say there's no life in the universe. Look at it this way, our sun is one of a hundred, thousand, million stars in our galaxy alone. We know a thousand, million galaxies. And many of these stars have planets. Therefore the number of earth-type planets is legion. I refuse to believe we're the only ones. They are a long way away. And so far we've no definite proof of life anywhere beyond the earth, but I'm sure it's there.
What do you think the effect would be if we made contact with other intelligent beings?
In our present state of knowledge, we can't travel to the stars. They're too far away. They're light years away. We can't make direct contact with other intelligences. We could pick them up by radio, and we're trying now. That, of course, would have a tremendous effect upon all our thinking. It would prove that we are not the only beings in the universe. It would affect everything: our way of life, even our religion, everything, and that may well happen. It may happen tomorrow, it may happen next year, or in a hundred years time, or never. I'm sure that they're there, but I can't prove it yet. We may have a very strong clue in the near future. Therefore, we will find out if there are any living things on Mars. I don't think there can be men. I mean any microscopic life. If we do find any trace of life on Mars, that will show that life will appear when it can, and will develop as far as circumstances will allow. That would be a pointer. It wouldn't be a proof, but it would be a pointer.
What are Parallel Universes?
Parallel Universes, we don't know they exist. There may be other universes in which we have no contact at all. It's a lovely theory but how we prove it or disprove it, frankly, I do not know. Our brains don't go that far. That's something we can't even speculate on seriously as yet I fear.
What are Wormholes?
They are distortions in the fabric of space time. Again here you get into some really interesting mathematics. Here, Chris is far more advanced than I am, I may say, so you ought to ask Chris more that than me I think. After all I am a solar system man. I say "fair in the other's hand".
Why does Saturn have rings and other planets don't?
They do. Saturn has bright icy rings. However Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune also all have rings, but they are dark, and we don't see them so well. But they do have rings, but even if Saturn's are bright and icy because they are a lovely sight, believe me, see Saturn in the sky now.