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 | future

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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 53 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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Degrees of Scientific Impossibility

Will something that is impossible now eventually become possible? In order to answer this question, the author has divided various potentially outrageous ideas into three levels of impossibility, based on current and expected future technological capabilities and the known laws of physics: Class I impossibilities, occupying over 60% of the book, Class II impossibilities and Class III impossibilities. The higher the class level, the more impossible (or farther in the future) the possible realization of the idea is perceived to be. In progressing along these classes, the author goes from practical nuts-and-bolts solutions to various problems that may be possible in a matter of decades to centuries (Type I), to dreams whose realizations may never happen according current very abstract ideas that are at the very forefront of scientific thinking and thus very far removed from our everyday experience (Type III). The writing style is clear, friendly, authoritative and quite engaging. The book contains no diagrams whatsoever. In most cases, they are not really essential because of the author's excellent ability to express complex ideas into clearly understandable prose. However, in a few cases, diagrams would have been quite welcome. Technical terms are clearly explained as they occur so that anyone could read this book and learn a great deal from it. However, science buffs would probably appreciate it the most.

On a more technical note, on a couple of occasions the author has pointed out that when an electron and an antielectron (positron) meet, they annihilate producing "gamma rays at an energy of 1.02 million electron volts or more" (p. 184) and "annihilate one another and create a gamma ray" (p. 278). The first statement can be misleading while the second one is incorrect and is likely a misprint. When an electron and a positron meet in free space, they annihilate producing two gamma rays (not one) of energy 0.511 million electron volts each (or more, depending on their relative kinetic energies when they meet); the total gamma ray energy released being (at least) 1.02 million electron volts. Production of two gamma rays is essential to conserve momentum, i.e., total momentum before the collision must equal total momentum after the collision, which is impossible if only one annihilation gamma ray is produced.

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future

This Book is a great begginer guide into the sate of the human race now and what we can achieve in the future.

Mission: Possible

Michio Kaku's "Physics Of The Impossible" is an eye-opening look into the possibilities that future technologies could hold for the human race. Kaku rates such things as force fields, phasers, time travel and other as either a Level I, II or III posibility, with a level III being the most unreachable. Using a layman's vocabulary and great comparisons he adequately describes the science and technology for those without benefit of a PhD in physics.

I did find Kaku a bit redundant in areas, possibly because I had just previously read his superb book "Hyperspace," which covers some of the same material.

Overall, Kaku did an excellent job of bringing science to the masses and I found myself constantly in awe at the possibilities that future technologies might hold. I'm sure a scientist would say that this is a bit basic but for the majority of people who read this without a foundation in science it logically and cohesively brings these far reaching concepts to its target audience. Michio Kaku has taken the mantle of Carl Sagan and is one of the best science writers today.

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For newbies

Many parts of this book were interesting, but more taliored to the new physics reader. Mr. Kaku does not go into enough actual physics detail on many subjects. However, for an overview, this book is quite good.

I would recommend the author Brian Greene for a more detailed look at current physics theories.

Pop-physics for moviegoers...

In Physics of the Impossible, author and physicist Michio Kaku reviews "a scientific exploration into the world of phasers, force fields, teleportation, and time travel" (the subtitle).

He also discusses faster than light travel, perpetual motion machines, parallel universes, UFOs, precognition, and psychokinesis. In other words, Kaku covers a wide range of topics, from cutting edge theoretical physics (parallel universes) to patently silly "stunts" (psychokinesis).

The organizing theme of the book is the amazing things humans can do, or will probably be able to do, as described in science fiction films and books. We have Star War's planet-busting Death Star and phasers, Harry Potter's invisibility cloak, and more. Kaku explores whether there is science to back up these technologies in the near or far future. In some cases, he believes they will become reality, and in others, he is more skeptical. Regardless, he discusses the physics behind the future success or failure of his selected topics.

All in all, I found it an interesting book, but there were some sections or passages that irritated me. For example, he stated that "spoon-bending" is fake (I think), but he puts psychokinesis into a "class 1 impossibility" (impossible today but does not violate the laws of physics). However, as he discusses signals from the brain which can operate a thought-driven machine, he seems to skip discussing spoon-bending. I really don't see how his arguments of physics lead to the molecules of a spoon rearranging themselves.

Another issue was the strange comment in the chapter on parallel universes:

"Throughout history going back to almost all ancient societies, people have believed in other planes of existence, the homes of the gods or ghosts. The Church believes in heaven, hell, and purgatory. The Buddhists have Nirvana and different states of consciousness. And the Hindus have thousands of planes of existence" (p. 230).

Excuse me... "The Church"? This is a strange comment in a non-theistic book. Which church? Catholic? Latter Day Saint?

And when Kaku talked about planet-busters, I was hoping he was going to discuss kinetic weapons, not just "death rays". Our solar system has some experience with nature-inspired collisions.

Interesting, but relatively shallow. I expected more in this book.

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