Nasa 'should follow Columbus'

[Rick]

Professor Stephen Hawking has called for a new era of space conquest akin to Christopher Columbus' discovery of the new world.

In a speech honouring Nasa's 50th anniversary, the 66-year-old astrophysicist said the situation we face "is like Europe before 1492".

"People might well have argued it was a waste of money to send Columbus on a wild goose chase," he mused.

"Yet the discovery of the new world made profound difference to the old."

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7361037.stm