This is probably one image that has brought smiles all over the planet. Professor Stephen Hawking experiencing zero-gravity on a special Boeing flight, with an expression of exhilaration on his face. For the uninitiated, the famed physicist is preparing for his upcoming trip into space. Surely, a life worth lived...

Just before boarding the Boeing, he said the following:

"I believe that life on Earth is at an ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster such as sudden global warming, nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus or other dangers. I believe the human race has no future if it doesn't go into space."


I will let the images do the rest of the talking...