"In the 21st century we will find out about life at a galactic scale," Milner said.
"To understand the universe, you must know about atoms, about the forces that bind them, the contours of space and time, the birth and death of stars, the dance of galaxies, the secrets of black holes, but that is not enough," Hawking said. He added that the search must answer what he calls the biggest question, the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life.