If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans.
Stephen HawkingI am discounting the reports of UFOs. Why would they appear only to cranks and weirdos?
Stephen HawkingOne can imagine that God created the universe at literally any time in the past. On the other hand, if the universe is expanding, there may be physical reasons why there had to be a beginning. One could imagine that God created the universe at the instant of the big bang, or even afterwards in just such a way as to make it look as though there had been a big bang, but it would be meaningless to suppose that it was created before the big bang. An expanding universe does not preclude a creator, but it does place limits on when he might have carried out his job!
Stephen Hawking