Issuing an insurance policy against abduction by aliens seems a pretty safe bet.

The line uses dry, actuarial humor to express skepticism about sensational claims of alien abduction. By framing the idea as an “insurance policy,” Hawking implies that the risk is so vanishingly small that selling coverage would be almost pure profit—an indirect way of saying the underlying phenomenon is not supported by credible evidence. The remark also reflects his broader public stance: openness to the possibility of extraterrestrial life in the universe, paired with insistence on rigorous standards of proof for extraordinary claims. It’s a compact example of scientific skepticism delivered in a witty, accessible form.