On Tuesday, while most of us were enjoying the fireworks, the folks at Yahoo! Answers were busy working with Dr. Stephen Hawking ? one of the world?s leading theoretical physicists and author of the surprise best-seller A Brief History of Time, along with holding many titles, degrees, posts and accolades - to ask a question on Yahoo!

Dr. Hawking?s question to the Yahoo! community is, how can the human race survive the next hundred years?

Apparently we have a lot to say on the matter, because in the first day alone, more than 15,000 answers were posted, and people were even blogging about their responses. I wonder if they know they could get a nifty Answers badge and then their responses show up automagically...

Anyway, you may have heard about Dr. Hawking recently ? he?s been making headlines and stirring up blog chatter following a June 2006 appearance in China. Dr. Hawking discussed the need to colonize outer space as the only way for human kind to survive the next thousand years, and cited threats of nuclear technology and bioterrorism.

What?s more, Dr. Hawking is something of a pop culture phenomenon, inspiring Yahoo! Answers blog editor Mario Anima to pen this:

When I found out that Stephen Hawking was going to be asking the Answers community a question, I could hardly contain my excitement. Our weekly meetings sometimes derail into ?wouldn?t it be cool if?? sessions, and Stephen Hawking is one name that consistently surfaces during these discussions.

Aside from being one of the world?s leading theoretical physicists, Stephen Hawking has also made some popular guest appearances on television ? as a member of the Vice Presidential Action Rangers on Futurama, and as Lisa?s savior on The Simpsons.

If you haven?t checked out Answers yet, you might try reading through the many interesting responses to Dr. Hawking?s question. Or you may have begun to see some of the best of Answers in Yahoo! Search results, providing responses on all manner of topics from the profound to the mundane.

For example, as folks who know me can attest, I?ve lately been telling people about a time when I benefited from the answer to someone else?s question. A friend gave us a half a fresh abalone and I had no idea what to do with it. So I searched for fresh abalone, and there it was! A great best answer with everything I needed to know about cooking fresh abalone. Slice, tenderize, cook 20 seconds a side in a frying pan with butter and shallots. Do not overcook!

Benefiting from other people's answers via search is great, but participation is key, and you still have time to answer Dr. Hawking.

Tara Kirchner

PS ? Check back on Answers on Friday, when U2?s Bono asks his big question!