Why is it that great and famous scientists (here: Stephen Hawking) try to predict the future and risk of becoming a laughing stock (at least in the future)?
“Trump’s action could push the Earth over the brink, to become like Venus, with a temperature of two hundred and fifty degrees, and raining sulphuric acid.”
That notion is downright ridiculous. As if Trump could unilaterally decrease carbon emissions and thereby save the world... (http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/science/each-countrys-share-of-co2.html#.WVtDvIsUkis)
Hawking is a physicist and not a climate scientist. The climate system is such a complex system. Trying to precisely predict the climate by 2100 is hubristic, with the limited understanding of the climate's mechanism and the limited data processing capabilities of today.
And I think speaking of a tipping point where global warming becomes irreversible is a daring thesis. Nobody knows to what extent global climate can be tailored to our requirements by climate engineering in 20 or 50 years.
Another example of Hawking's overconfidence is his criticism of capitalism:
https://www.cnet.com/news/stephen-hawking-says-we-should-be-more-frightened-of-capitalism-than-robots/
He's not an economist and I think Andreesen is right to suggest that "someone buy Stephen Hawking an Economics 101 textbook please."
Without the technical and medical advancements brought by capitalism Hawking would no longer be alive (Imagine him living in Cuba or North Korea).
In my humble opinion we will be able to laugh about many of the statements of today's scientific role models in some years.
https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/lists/10-failed-scientific-predictions-276945
I hope nobody finds my opinion offensive and look forward to your remarks and opinions.