Stephen Hawking: Election of Trump and Brexit vote part of 'most dangerous time' for humanity

Renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking has warned the election of Donald Trump and UK's Brexit vote are signifiers of "the most dangerous moment in the development of humanity".

The scientist suggested in an op-ed for The Guardian the majority of people felt they had been failed by world leaders, and had rejected the elite and the status quo in their voting choices.

He said: "It was, everyone seems to agree, the moment when the forgotten spoke, finding their voices to reject the advice and guidance of experts and the elite everywhere."

He added: "For me, the really concerning aspect of this is that now, more than at any time in our history, our species needs to work together. We face awesome environmental challenges: climate change, food production, overpopulation, the decimation of other species, epidemic disease, acidification of the oceans.

"Together, they are a reminder that we are at the most dangerous moment in the development of humanity. We now have the technology to destroy the planet on which we live, but have not yet developed the ability to escape it. Perhaps in a few hundred years, we will have established human colonies amid the stars, but right now we only have one planet, and we need to work together to protect it."

It is not the first time Hawking has shared his opinions about Trump, stating back during the president-elect's election campaign, that the Republican was appealing to the lowest common denominator.

In an interview with ITV's breakfast programme, Good Morning Britain, Hawking referred to Trump as a "demagogue who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator."

However, Hawking also used this most recent editorial to highlight the broader perspective, arguing that what mattered more than the recent votes was the future as a whole.

"What matters now, far more than the choices made by these two electorates, is how the elites react," he added.

"Should we, in turn, reject these votes as outpourings of crude populism that fail to take account of the facts, and attempt to circumvent or circumscribe the choices they represent? I would argue this would be a terrible mistake."