Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel

This is the best non-fiction science book I have ever read in a long while. The theme of the book is to pick topics from pop-culture science books and movies and ponder how impossible the technology to achieve it, is. The impossibility is actually an assessment of how far in the future a form of technology would be available that would achieve, say, cloaks of invisibility or teleportation devices. Along the way, you will read history and tidbits about the personal lives of some great scientists. These wanderings make great reading for the layperson, especially when some topics like wormholes start getting heavy. Hyperspace, higher dimensions, curved space is near impossible to imagine. But Michio Kaku makes the reading interesting and relevant by frequently giving examples of practical applications. This is one reason I lost Bryan Greene (Elegant Universe) after the first 100 or so pages. There are topics I read that really made me think long after the book was over - how deep a foundation would you have to dig for a tower that extends out into space? Implications of time-travel. These are topics I have read in many other books (the ever great Sagan's Cosmos and classic Asimov books), but the coverage here was fascinating. The book never gets too technical. It is the kind of book that may set a young future Einstein's mind aflame. I strongly believe books like this should be mandatory in high school and undergraduate college. Many times, while sitting through Quantum Physics classes in college, I never understood the implications of the math. We memorized Shrodinger's equation without understanding its philosophical implications. Once when I asked the professor what negative mass actually implied, she painstakingly re-traced the math proving mass does become negative, leaving me as clueless as when I started. There are some drawbacks to the book. There are some obvious philosophical questions that are not addressed, except as a note in the appendix. One example is the implication of teleportation of live beings - even if technically possible, what happens to the consciousness. This was covered in the appendix, but it would have been more interesting to address this - even if transporting molecular structure ever becomes possible, what does it really mean to transport life? There were also some glaring typos - 'Shiva, the Hindu goddess with multiple arms', 'galaxies teaming with life'. Otherwise a great book on science for the lay person.

Creed Here. If i could describe this book in just one word, it would be inspiring. Mickio Kaku made me feel like nothing is truly impossible for humanity. He takes all of the awesome technologies that we wish we had, such as time travel and ray guns and invisibility and so forth, and separates them into three categories of impossibility: technologies that are impossible today but might not be within this century, technologies that are impossible today but dont break the laws of physics so might be seen in a thousand or more years, and technologies that are impossible unless the fundamental laws of physics are re-written. Even in the latter, he reminds us all throughout this book that we have technologies today that were declared totally impossible only a hundred years ago, and technologies then that were declared impossible centuries earlier still. In discussing each of the technologies, Kaku gives an in-depth description of how close humanity is to achieving it and gives a great explanation of what we need more to transition a technology from impossible to possible. In talking about all of these complicated things that an average person wouldn't normally understand, Michio Kaku describes everything simply and uses comparisons and stories that help you understand exactly what he is talking about. Not only does this foster a fun atmosphere to let the imagination run wild (like when he references Star Wars and Star Trek), but it makes you feel smarter because you've been given a basic understanding of concepts that normally only the elites of the scientific community understand. I highly recommend this book to anyone that shares the smallest interest in how space and technology work. I think that you will have a lot of fun pondering the possibilities of things like telepathy and force fields, as well as the history behind all of our coolest technologies that we have today like nuclear bombs and cell phones. I sincerely hope Michio Kaku writes another book like "Physics of the Impossible Volume 2".

Professor Michio Kaku, arguably the next Carl Sagan, continues his work to popularize science with "Physics of the Impossible" by examining the prospects of someday turning technologies out of science fiction into science fact. A theoretical physicist in his own right, Kaku applies the known laws of physics to spacecraft, ray guns, lightsabers, invisibility, self-conscious robots, and other topics, and surprisingly, concludes that most of the dreams of science fiction can be achieved. The only catch, Kaku claims, is the amount of energy available to a civilization, which he classifies into groups based on use of fossil fuels, solar/volcanic "planetary" fuels, directly tapping the fusion in the sun, and tapping all the energy of a galaxy. The laws of physics do not preclude a ligthsaber, though unlike in the Star Wars movies, an actual device would probably be tethered to its own power plant. Basically, "impossible" is a relative term, for the most part- thermodynamics seems to be the most heartless of the laws of physics, so you're never going to see a perpetual motion machine. Kaku also explores the history of some of the concepts, such as telepathy and telekinesis, which was pretty interesting to read. This isn't a physics book- there are no equations or diagrams. Don't expect to learn the intricate details of said laws of physics from this book. Kaku has written a book addressed to the science-interested layman to get him more interested in the subject, hopefully interested enough to take science as a career, or encourage children to do the same. You can find some of the topics in other popular science books, but Kaku is quite the gifted wordsmith, which is why you should consider reading this book in particular. Although sometimes Kaku does beat a topic to death, this book is very easy to read and digest. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in science, be it through science fiction books and films or, like me, an awesome high school physics teacher.

I think the biggest reason some people reject evolution is a lack of imagination. It's difficult for humans to picture the vast amount of time it takes for organisms to evolve. To speculate on the many mysteries of science takes a vivid imagination. Fortunately, author Michio Kaku has one. He brings a bright-eyed, gee-whiz sense of wonder to his subject, and his writing makes it contagious. Kaku's passion is the impossible, and in this book he explores different kinds of impossibilities. Class I ideas -- -- force fields, invisibility, phasers and death stars, teleportation, telepathy, psychokinesis, robots, extraterrestrials and UFOs, starships, antimatter and anti-universes -- could come true within a hundred years. Class II impossibilities, such as travel faster than light, time travel and parallel universes, may be possible in the next millennium. Class III ideas, like perpetual motion machines and precognition, may never be possible, given the underlying science. As Kaku explores his subjects, he uses references anyone can understand: Star Trek , Back to the Future , The Wizard of Oz , Flash Gordon , Men in Black . The result is an imminently readable physics primer. I hesitated to use the phrase "physics primer" in that last paragraph, because it might scare off people who would actually find this book fascinating. The truth is, this is nothing like that dry science book you remember from school. It entertains, educates and inspires.

This book tackles questions about physical possibilities. Michio Kaku breaks the level of impossibilities down into three categories, cat I, cat II, and cat III. Each level of category corresponds to his interpretation of just HOW impossible those things would be. For instance, if it is theoretically physically possible, yet humans do not have the technology to do it, he would classify it as a cat I impossibility. For the remaining two he uses slightly different criteria. He also assumes that there are three levels of civilizations, a type 0, 1, and a type 2 civilization. Each of these corresponds to how masterful of the universe they have become. Kaku looks at each question separately, such as, "Is time travel possible?" and gives you expert opinions and examples to clarify just how it could be possibly done, based on man's understanding of the universe currently. Kaku covers the following subjects: Force Fields, invisibility, Phasers and Death Stars, Teleportation, Telepathy, Psychokinesis, Robots, Extraterrestrials and UFOs, Antimatter and Anti-Universes, Faster than light travel, Time Travel, Parallel Universes, Perpetual Motion Machines, and Precognition. I highly recommend anybody who enjoys science, science fiction, cosmology, mathematics, or simply someone who has a great imagination, this book is for you! This book does not require extensive knowledge of physics, mathematics, or anything of that sort.

I would definitely recommend this book to others. It's very interesting and it's guaranteed to make you feel a thousand times more like a quantum physicist than you did before. This book really kick starts your imagination and makes you dream of physics, which no one would ever think was interesting until him or her reads this book. Michio Haku makes this book an easy read, especially coming from a physicist to your everyday person. Haku writes in a way that keeps the book intriguing, even when filled with the Quantum Theory, the String Theory and the Theory of Relativity. It's definitely not like a text book. While Physics of the Impossible has just as much, if not more, information as a text book, it remains intriguing and simple. You don't have to have a strong scientific background to be able to read this book. Anyone interested in science-fiction would appreciate this book, as it applies fiction concepts into real life. This book could also influence readers to start dreaming big. It will encourage them to not always take the unlikely for the impossible. This book is very well written and I would recommend it to all.

Dr. Michio Kaku is one of the premier authors of physics books in recent memory. It seems that physicists are getting a lot of publicity and for good reason. The forward advancement of tech and knowledge put us on the brink of many a great discovery's in the near future, and this book details them in amazing technical detail. From force fields to leaving our own physical universe to start over in one of the many other Multiverses. If you are a Science Fiction fan, this book is right up your alley. Not to say that it deals with subjects that are not possible, but it shows us how the impossible might come to be. Everything we take for granted at present was once somebody's absurd and crazy idea so don't write anything off. Now where was my Flux Capacitor? In the end, this book left me captivated and wanting more to read about. The book is written well and is easily understood by anyone. Michio Kaku is an amazing physicist with an even greater imagination. This to me seperates him from a lot of the others. I love the subjects he tackles and how he puts them into context. Even as a lowly level 0 civilization we can come to appreciate the imagination and forward advancement of humanity if we just look deeper into ourselves and the future. All it takes is a little imagination and working together to achieve the impossible =)

While we're busy with the minutiae of daily living, it's great to know that a physicist of Dr. Michio Kaku's stature is seeking answers to the big questions which he then explains in language everybody can understand. In that respect, Dr. Kaku takes up the mantle of Carl Sagan as an effective science popularizer. With nearly two hundred published research articles to his credit and eight bestselling books written for the general public, Michio Kaku is one of the most prolific science writers around. When Michio Kaku speaks or writes, he does it with an almost childlike enthusiasm that's infectious. He hasn't lost his sense of wonder and love for science fiction. Although he is fearless in his speculations, they are always rooted in science and what may be truly possible. We could use more scientists like him to bring a bit more rational thinking to this crazy world. Carl Sagan and Martin Gardner were my inspirations early in life when I decided to study engineering. Michio Kaku may be serving the same function for future space explorers. May he live long and prosper.

جيد

Loi de Kaku: l'impossible n'est que du possible qui n'a pas encore été découvert. Brodant sur ce postulat de base, Kaku s'en donne à coeur joie et liste tout ce qui va se révéler possible dans les 10 ans ou 100 000 ans à venir. Il est possible que vous trouviez ce livre passionnant. Il est impossible que vous n'en sortiez pas enrichi.

Llegó en buenas condiciones y a tiempo. En cuanto al libro, no lo he terminado pero puedo decir que es una interesante exploración sobre temas que ahora consideramos imposibles como la invisibilidad o los viajes en el tiempo.

I read this along with and on recommendation from my teenage son. It drew me back to my high school physics days. It’s not a light read but very thoughtful and logical investigations of what’s possible in future and why ? Given that it is already a decade + old book now, we can see how some of the impossibilities discussed are closer or converted to reality.

Michio Kaku es un físico teórico quien, con tan sólo con 17 años, ganó una beca para estudiar en Harvard tras destacar con su trabajo de física en el instituto en el que estudiaba en San Franciso. Lo que presentó fue un acelerador de partículas doméstico para fabricar antimateria. Hoy en día es uno de los físicos más conocidos por su proliferación como escritor y también por sus apariciones en la televisión y la radio norteamericanas y también es un gran difusor de la Teoría de las Supercuerdas como la Teoría del Todo, del mismo modo que lo es Bryan Greene. En Phisics of the Impossible, Kaku analiza las "imposibilidades" que aparecen, sobre todo, en las películas, series y literatura de Ciencia Ficción. No hace ni siquiera 100 años, cualquiera habría dicho que ir a la Luna era imposible. A finales del Siglo XIX, los físicos creían que los átomos no existían más que el el plano teórico, poco sospechaban que solo unos años más tarde se demostraría su existencia y que después de un siglo seríamos capaces de fotografiarlos y manipularlos. ¿Se puede viajar más rápido que la luz? ¿Se pueden construir naves estelares capaces de viajar por la galaxia en tiempos razonables? ¿Podemos generar campos de fuerza? ¿Podemos hacernos invisibles? ¿Podemos fabricar Fásers y Estrellas de la Muerte? ¿Podemos viajar en el tiempo? Michio Kaku califica estas y otras "imposibilidades" en tres categorías, según podríamos conseguir esos retos en unos decenios, o en uno o varios siglos o si se vulneran las leyes actuales de la física y, por tanto, no podemos contar con resolver esos problemas, como sería el caso de las máquinas de movimiento perpetuo. Recorriendo las Leyes de la Física, desde las Leyes del Movimiento y la Gravedad de Newton, las Leyes de Maxwell del electromagnetismo, las Leyes de la Termodinámica, la Teoría de la Relatividad de Einstein, la Teorías de la Mecánica Cuántica y la Cromodinámica Cuántica y, desde luego, la candidata a Teoría del Todo, la Teoría de las Supercuerdas, Kaku estudia una a una las "imposibilidades" observando si nuestro conocimiento de la Física podría llegar a resolverlas y cuál sería el modo más plausible. Los entresijos de los átomos, las partículas subatómicas, la antimateria, la energía negativa, la deformación del Espacio-Tiempo, la Materia Obscura, los Universos Paralelos y los Multiversos... Todo ello pasa por delante de tus ojos de un modo simple y comprensible en Phisics of the Impossible. Después de leerlo te quedas con ganas de más y yo ya he encargado el libro que fue el gran Best Seller de Kaku: Hyperspace.