Added December 18, 2022
Stephen Hawking's Stark Warning for Humans to Leave Earth, SmithsonianChannel, April 10, 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoR2lWyngFk
"Physicist Stephen Hawking issued a warning to humanity about the existential threats we face and how our survival depends on colonizing another planet."
Stephen Hawking YouTube, 2:15
Hawking: "I have no doubt that we will eventually find ways of crossing the immense distances of space in just a few years. One of our species great strengths is embracing new ideas and evolving them into cutting edge technologies."
My Comments
Many scientists believe the universe contains nonhuman extraterrestrial intelligence. They surmise that ETs have not visited Earth because the universe is vast and Einsteinian physics limits the speed of objects, such as spacecraft, to the speed of light.
It appears Stephen Hawking is saying humans will find an efficient way to traverse interstellar space notwithstanding Einstein's laws of physics.
Note Hawking's statement is slightly linguistically ambiguous. Does "in just a few years" refer to when scientists will discover a way to traverse interstellar space, or does "in just a few years" refer to the length of time for the interstellar traversal?
Einstein's laws of physics have been important for science, but if Stephen Hawking is correct, ETs light years away from Earth may have discovered, eons ago, a way to traverse interstellar distances.
In my opinion, Stephen Hawking's theory, "we will eventually find ways of crossing the immense distances of space in just a few years," cannot be dismissed as the musings of an ignorant non-scientist.
When observations of UAPs hovering for hours, or turning 90 or 180 degrees instantaneously, the interpretation cannot start with the postulate, or assumption, the detected spacecraft cannot have ET origins because Einsteinian physics says the distances between nodes of intelligent life are too far apart to be traversed.
Understanding the nature and origin of UAPs may require assuming there will be unending progress and changes in the laws of physics. The playful display of UAPs buzzing military installations or performing aerodynamically 'impossible' behavior probably evidences ETs demonstrating their knowledge of advanced laws of physics.
Literary Annex: Through the Looking Glass, Chapter V: Wool and Water
https://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/resources/chapters-script/through-the-looking-glass/chapter-5/
‘I can’t believe that!’ said Alice.’
‘Can’t you?’ the Queen said in a pitying tone. ‘Try again: draw a long breath, and shut your eyes.’
'Alice laughed. ‘There’s no use trying,’ she said: ‘one can’t believe impossible things.’
‘I daresay you haven’t had much practice,’ said the Queen. ‘When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.'
Conclusion
In my opinion, it is not useful for a scientist to start researching the existence of ET manufactured UAPs by saying: We will not consider nonconventional physics.
For example, the Harvard University Galileo Project lays out a ground rule: "Our analysis of the data is based on known physics."
https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/galileo/home
Why should ETC knowledge of physics be comparable to the knowledge of physics by the collective members of the Galileo Project? ETs are probably millions of years more advanced in scientific knowledge than those terrestrial physicists.
Consider what Stephen Hawking says: "we will eventually find ways of crossing the immense distances of space in just a few years."
Stephen Hawking and the Queen in 'Through the Looking Glass' believe in the impossible. My calculation is interstellar travel faster than, or circumventing, the speed of light will become possible for humans within 2, or less, to 50 years.
In my opinion, that goal will likely not be accomplished by traditional methods.