Professor Brian Cox wants Prime Ministers sent into space to help planet

What did you miss?

Professor Brian Cox got viewers talking when he appeared on The One Show and said sending Prime Ministers into space could help to address the climate emergency.

The famous physicist was on the BBC show on Monday (April 22) and revealed his idea after hosts Jermaine Jenas and Alex Jones noted that he had a “radical” suggestion for tackling the crisis. Cox said he had come up with it after speaking to plenty of astronauts over the years, including Tim Peake.

He explained that astronauts “all say the same thing” about going into space.

What, how, and why?

“Which is when they are launched into space and see the Earth from space they see the beauty and fragility of our world, then it changes their view,” he said.

“They see one world, one precious world,” he went on. “I think, and I genuinely think this, that if you are elected as the leader of the country then it would be a good use of taxpayers’ money to launch them into space.”

“Most of them should come back,” added the scientist, as the hosts giggled. “But I do think that that perspective would essentially say to them, this is the thing that you are responsible for.

"And I think there is no better way of demonstrating it.”

What did The One Show viewers think?

Fans appeared to be intrigued by Cox’s idea.

“Not sure about @ProfBrianCox idea of sending World leaders into Space,” one posted on X. “They are not normal people. They will look at the view and each assume they should be the individual proprietor of the whole Earth not just their part and they will strategise and plan accordingly.”

Another joked: “Alex looking at Brian Cox: 'He is lovely... but what the f*** is he talking about?’”

“Just sitting here fangirling over @ProfBrianCox," another person said, as one posted: "The One Show is full of some strange stories tonight."

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