Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields,...

Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, ... | Michio Kaku | Review by Richard

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Physics of the Imp...

	Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, ... Michio Kaku Doubleday, 2008 - 352 pages average customer review:based on 31 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A fascinating exploration of the science of the impossible?from death rays and force fields to invisibility cloaks?revealing to what extent such technologies might be achievable decades or millennia into the future.

One hundred years ago, scientists would have said that lasers, televisions, and the atomic bomb were beyond the realm of physical possibility. In Physics of the Impossible, the renowned physicist Michio Kaku explores to what extent the technologies and devices of science fiction that are deemed equally impossible today might well become commonplace in the future.

From teleportation to telekinesis, Kaku uses the world of science fiction to explore the fundamentals?and the limits?of the laws of physics as we know them today. He ranks the impossible technologies by categories?Class I, II, and III, depending on when they might be achieved, within the next century, millennia, or perhaps never. In a compelling and thought-provoking narrative, he explains:
· How the science of optics and electromagnetism may one day enable us to bend light around an object, like a stream flowing around a boulder, making the object invisible to observers ?downstream?
· How ramjet rockets, laser sails, antimatter engines, and nanorockets may one day take us to the nearby stars
· How telepathy and psychokinesis, once considered pseudoscience, may one day be possible using advances in MRI, computers, superconductivity, and nanotechnology
· Why a time machine is apparently consistent with the known laws of quantum physics, although it would take an unbelievably advanced civilization to actually build one
Kaku uses his discussion of each technology as a jumping-off point to explain the science behind it. An extraordinary scientific adventure, Physics of the Impossible takes readers on an unforgettable, mesmerizing journey into the world of science that both enlightens and entertains.

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Written for a man of seventy-three -- or a youngster of sixteen!

Seldom do pop-sci books grab my attention such that I wouldn't find it easy to even the danged book down to eat or visit the bathroom. And yes, Michio Kaku managed to keep the jargon and complexity to a minimum so that even an aging would-be-mathematician like myself could follow his stream of thought easily ... and enjoy every minute of it.

His classification of "impossibilities" alone was well worth the cost of the book--bought as "New." He allowed a tiny bit of his own bias in support of there being no life after death to seep into the early narrative (not intrusive, however), but his catalog of physical and cosmological "impossibilities" went far beyond what I ever believed could be put into under 400 pages--which he did superbly. This book is a "keeper" and I would recommmend buying it in hardcover.

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Review by Richard

The book is easy reading for a person not heavily involved with science. It is informative and makes you want to think about events and discoveries yet to come.

Great Insights

Very good book for inquiring minds. Dr. Kaku is a genius and does a great job of making this book easy enough to understand but not too simplistic. Nice balance for those who have a curiosity about such things but not a background in physics.

The Impossible Explained

A very good book for the physics enthusiast - especially the unique approach the author brings to the table. The author takes a good look at various phenomenon in science fiction such as 'Force fields', 'Invisibility', 'Teleportation', 'Time Travel', 'Perpetual motion machines' and so on and classifies them into Classes of 1 to 3. Class 1 impossibilities are those that are impossible today but do not violate the known laws of physics and may be realized within this century, Class 2 are those that may be realized in millions (!) of years; and Class 3 (surprisingly very few) that violate the known laws of physics and may never be realized in this universe.

An easy to read book with many references to popular science fiction books as well as TV shows and movies, it enables the reader to put in perspective many of the science fiction concepts that we often hear about. Numerous scientists and authors have also been interviewed by the author and their feedback brought into the book. However I would have liked to see more of the author's views on Ray Kurzweil predictions on spiritual machines and humanity overcoming death.

The author's science projects at school will invoke an inferiority complex in most of us :) but does give an idea of what precocious children can achieve in the school system of the United States. In spite of the good research that went into the book, I noticed a minor error which will titillate Indian readers. In page 44 of the book, the Hindu God Shiva is mentioned as a goddess.

I would recommend this book to readers interested in Physics and Science fiction.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

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