World-famous physicist Stephen Hawking is making yet another doomsday prophecy for mankind, claiming that the human race will be wiped off the face of the Earth in less than 600 years after the planet turns into a giant fireball. He again reiterated his belief that mankind needs to explore other planets and systems in order to survive.

He believes the problem is overcrowding and increased energy consumption, which he thinks will turn the planet into a ball of fire. He made the comments during an appearance at the Tencent WE Summit in Beijing on Sunday.

Hawking wants investors to push for a plan that would involve traveling to the closest star outside of the solar system, Alpha Centauri. The star is located just four light years away. Scientists think exo-planets around such stars could harbor life, or at least support it.