The presence of alien life has been the topic of debate in science, culture, and religion for centuries; and nothing but the sheer vastness of the universe makes the strongest case. The universe is so huge it's apparently unfathomable for our small terran minds. Record says that the number of current habitable exoplanets are 44. Assuming that aliens don't need the same environment that we do to survive - the possibility of extraterrestrial life is even greater.

Stephen Hawking's Favorite Places

Physicist Stephen Hawking is more convinced than anyone that humans are not the only intelligent life form in the universe. In the newly-released 25-minute film from Curiosity Stream, "Commander Stephen Hawking pilots his spaceship, SS Hawking, on the journey of a lifetime, zooming from black holes to the Big Bang, and Saturn to Santa Barbara. "

In the film, Physicist Stephen Hawking notes that in recent years, scientist have found countless planets outside our solar system and one of which is the closest habitable planet - mGliese 832c.

His Breakthrough Listen Initiative, which uses sensitive radio telescopes to pick up potential signals from planets, is in the range of Gliese 832c. However, even if he believes there is alien life in the universe, we should think twice about making contact.

We Should Be Wary Of Making Contact

"One day we might receive a signal from a planet like Gliese 832c, but we should be wary of answering back," Hawking says in the film. The aliens could belong to a much more advanced civilization and the result of contact may have consequences.

Hawking's belief that alien lifeforms sre vastly powerful than us and that they "may not see us as any more valuable than we see bacteria" hasn't stopeed him from dedicating his life to his work like "Breakthrough Listen", a project that costs $100 million.