Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100

Physics of the Future by Michio Kaku "Physics of the Future" is a fabulous, thought-provoking, engaging and accessible book on the physics of the future. What sets this book apart, is Dr. Kaku's prodigious knowledge and his innate ability to convey complex topics in an engaging conversational manner. This fantastic 416-page book is composed of the following nine chapters: 1. Future of the Computer: Mind over Matter, 2. Future of AI: Rise of the Machines, 3. Future of Medicine: Perfection and Beyond, 4. Nanotechnology: Everything from Nothing?, 5. Future of Energy: Energy from the Stars, 6. Future of Space Travel: To the Stars, 7. Future of Wealth, 8. Future of Humanity: Planetary Civilization, and 9. A Day in the Life in 2100. Positives: 1. Engaging scientific writing for the masses. Dr. Kaku gets it and he knows how to relay his knowledge in a lucid and entertaining manner. 2. Great format. Each chapter begins with a couple of chapter appropriate quotes, an appetizer of an introduction (with a little mythology analogy for good measure) and then broken out by three subchapters: Near Future (Present to 2030), Midcentury (2030 to 2070), and Far Future (2070 to 2100). 3. Great use of popular culture to make his points easy to convey. The use of popular Sci-Fi movies to explain complex concepts is brilliant. 4. A fantastic idea of a book and I couldn't be happier that Dr. Kaku is the mastermind behind it. Great wisdom throughout. 5. Great science for all to enjoy. The future looks fascinating. 6. Finally, a fun, profound yet accessible book about physics of the future. 7. This book is like the behind the scenes look at the science behind the best Sci-Fi movies ever. Excellent! 8. The best way to predict the future is to consult the greatest minds, the subject matter experts and Dr. Kaku does exactly that. 9. How the four fundamental forces changed human history. 10. The future of Moore's law. 11. Our minds will control computers...just make sure husbands get this technology before the wives do. 12. Will robots inherit the earth? Only if they're fembots but I digress. 13. Fascinating look at why brains are superior to computers. I think. 14. Optogenetics...optowhat? Read and find out. I see. 15. Punctuated equilibrium best describes the way in which progress is made. 16. The fascinating future of medicine. You shall be healed. 17. We must clone Dr. Kaku. 18. Designer children, too late for me... 19. I want to be a geneticist... 20. "The quantum theory has one thing going for it: it is correct." Love that quote. 21. Nanotechnology...no small feat. 22. Energy saving ideas. Like you've never seen before. Powerful stuff. 23. Global warming...the topic just keeps heating up. Great explanation. 24. Space technology is far out! 25. The number 25,000 has a totally new significance to me. You can count on it. 26. New propulsion systems considered. It's not like it's rocket science...oh wait it is. 27. Science and technology are the engines of prosperity. NEMA. 28. The rise of intellectual capitalism. My two cents. 29. The importance of using science for the good of our planet. 30. Dr. Kaku does a wonderful job of tying everything together with an amusing story. 31. Great list of notes and a recommended reading list that has my attention. 32. Fascinating book from cover to cover. Negatives: 1. Links didn't work. 2. Some folks, particular those in the science field, may object to the book being "dumbed" down. I have no complaints since the book was meant for the masses. 3. Having to wait for Mr. Kaku's next book. In summary, this book is a real treat. I absolutely loved it. Great science, interesting facts, and a fascinating look at the future. Dr. Kaku is such an engaging, brilliant man; he tackles an ambitious project like this and succeeds on all accounts. This is the reason why I love science and this is the reason I enjoy reading books. I can't recommend this book enough. A well deserved 5-star book. Bravo!

I have to admit that I had never read anything from Dr. Kaku before this book. I wanted to, as I have heard of Dr. Kaku quite a bit; I just never got around actually picking up any of his books. But it all changed when I decided to buy "Physics of the Future," and all I can say that it exceeded all my expectations. Perhaps the biggest advantage of "Physics of the Future" is its accessibility. Dr. Kaku wrights in a way that allows "ordinary" people with no or little knowledge of physics and math to enjoy his work. The ideas in the book are all very interesting and clearly communicated. I especially liked the last few chapters that deal with sociology and human events. It is interesting to see these issues discussed from a physicist's point of view. The book also had some eye opening hypothesis, analysis of current events, as well as plausible predictions for the future. I have to say, I now have a much better understanding of current trends thanks to Dr. Kaku's insights. People more familiar with physics and other sciences might think this book is too "dumbed-down" for their taste, but I think for "ordinary" readers it has a wealth of knowledge to convey. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone, except the actual physicists (they would probably be bored). ;)

Have you ever wondered how the future will look like? No? Mmm, very disappointing. Stop reading now! Is your answer yes? This is your book. Prepare your travel kit and... start reading. You're going on a journey 100 years into the future! All the predictions made in this book are the result of long discussions between Michio "First in His Physics Class" Kaku and the greatest experts he had the chance to interview for different scientific shows. The good news is that the subject is simplified and made understandable to everyone. As a consequence the reader will be fully immersed in the Kaku's optimistic Vision(s) of the Future (ehi, the BBC mini series starring... Michio Kaku!). What about the bad news? Well, if you are a fan of Kaku's approach to scientific popularization and you followed him through the years, then this book will reveal a matrix-esque déjà vu. Furthermore (I know, nothing to do with this book), if by chance you want to receive an autographed book from mkaku.org, listen to me, don't do it. You will be disappointed . As soon as the so called web manager receive your money will "faster-than-light" forget about you and after an entire year of polite waiting (?), be sure, no book and no communication will have reached you. Short word for it: scam. Let's go back now to the main purpose of these written words : a book review. Personally, I really enjoyed the book. No yawning and a smart-and-fast reading. Every page is interesting and entertaining. Perhaps the Kaku's vision of the future is, as I said, too optimistic but at the end this approach makes the book lighter. You can always find a dark future in other books anyway. Finally, are Kaku's predictions accurate? Should we really care? The funny part is to sit, patiently wait (as long as we can) and see how the future will unfold in front of our eyes. Who knows, perhaps in one hundred years we'll still be around to read Physics of the Future version 2.0. Apparently I am even more optimistic than Kaku's visions!

"Physics of the Future" by Michio Kaku is an outstanding account of how science will define human life for the remainder of the 21st century. Like a modern day Jules Verne, Dr. Kaku presents a beautiful vision of the future where humanity uses its technical mastery to achieve material security and happiness. Written with the insights gained from a lifetime working and teaching in the physical sciences, Dr. Kaku's imaginative, thought-provoking and hopeful book should appeal to a wide audience. Dr. Kaku is the right man for the job. Dr. Kaku, who is renowned for his own scientific research, hosts a popular science television show where he has interacted with hundreds of the world's top scientists in academia, private industry and government. Traveling around the world to speak with leading researchers, there doesn't seem to be a big science program he doesn't know about. Perhaps more importantly, Dr. Kaku has the maturity to understand that science serves as a tool of a human desire that is rooted in thousands of years of evolution (which he affectionately terms the 'Caveman Principle' of human behavior). Dr. Kaku specifically looks at the future of computing, artificial intelligence, medicine, nanotechnology, energy, and space travel. He also speculates about how humanity might distribute wealth and organize civilization. In each chapter, Dr. Kaku draws on his deep knowledge and experiences to report on what is most likely to happen in each of these areas in the near future (through 2030), midcentury (2030 to 2070), and far future (2070 to 2100). Dr. Kaku also has a knack for creatively framing these discussions around Greek mythology and other classic works to describe how humanity's fondest poetic dreams of yesterday might soon become tomorrow's reality. The strength of Dr. Kaku's writing is such that no matter how much one might quibble about Dr. Kaku's opinions about specific science topics within this book - for example, whether or not he agrees that 'singularity' will come to fruition in quite the same way as envisioned by Ray Kurzweil - one is hard pressed to imagine many authors today who could write such an authoritative and insightful book about the future as this. Of course, one can easily take a jaundiced view of the future but I think we have to take the long view. After all, fascism, communism and two World Wars did not prevent Verne's vision of 1960s Paris from more or less coming true. In the end, we should momentarily suspend our disbelief and give Dr. Kaku the benefit of the doubt; and of course, hope that our better angels will prevail. I highly recommend this inspiring book to everyone.

Fantacy

I have read all his books, and try to watch him whenever he is on TV. He is a marvelous story teller, that is what this book amounts to a story of history and the future. His global view is needed in this day and age of so much information. I loved reading about the things our scientists are working on, I was disappointed that the gobal view of our legislators is so obviously narrow in science, we know it is in many other things they vote on, but in science? Oh, that our teachers and legislators could think like this...would we ever demand this, as life becomes more complex on earth? Just entering his mind as one reads the story you can follow his thought process and wonder at the majesty of what lies ahead. Will we be prepared, I wondered to make the decisions of the future if we elect people who can not envision the future. What struck me was his opinion that the 40's and 50's and even now are one of the greatest era's of man's time on earth. He touched briefly on the why of it..(.the most fascinating part of my life is that I grew up in the 40's and 50's and know it to be true)! We had a serious world war, but we came out of it a better world...He states that Europe and the United States..... electrified after the war..and our National Highways were built. He cites the delay during the war years, then jumps over that, because he is younger than me, I guess, but it was as though the world burst forth into spring and flowers after the war ended... I could compare even more, because I had just finished reading this book, Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II This book stunned me I was so wrapped up in the excitment of seeing our country snap to attention under the great men of the time, and the book told me that we were not at a standstill, but just gearing up for what was to come once the war ended! I encourage you to read Michio Kaku and the other book I mentioned above, for fun, for excitment and for dreaming the future...We are marvelous, if only we all could see that the choice of butter over guns, can make such a wonderful world. His comment on how Islam got lost in the momentum of the future world also struck me as very interesting, because as in all religions the studious make the dogma and where they go, so go the crowds...what a shame the glory of the Muslim world was allowed to fade as religious beliefs took precedence. Step into the mind of a great story teller...

Michio seems to write like he probably thinks, which is not a good writing habit. Writers have to learn to not write like they think because we all say things that are fine in person, but are not real professional when writing. His editors clearly have not fixed the many problems with his writing style, punctuation, and grammar. He and his editors are what I call "comma-challenged." That really includes nearly all punctuation errors, but the misuse of commas is most common (not using them where they are needed, and including them where they are not needed). And the idea that every sentence that has ", but ..." or ", and ..." should stay in the same sentence, rather than just start a new sentence (like ". But ..." or ". And ..."). They make for some very long sentences. Using short sentences to make it easier to read is a mark of a real professional. But there was one particularly annoying habit he has: using parenthetical statements for complete sentences, and worse, for complete paragraphs. He used parenthetical statements as though there were sidebars (like in a magazine). Most books of this size can't accommodate sidebars. But his editors/publishers should have noted this and either redesigned the book's format or found a better way to take the long sidebars out of the main flow (using a design element). But there were just way too many of them. And many of them just didn't need to be a sidebar or inside parenthesis at all. Putting something in parenthesis is like whispering in someone's ear to explain something relevant while they are listening to someone speak. But it's very annoying to have someone "whisper" in your ear too much. He also used "since" instead of "because" way too much. He even had "since" more than once in the same sentence. That's a poor writing habit. The use of "since" to mean "because" is very common when we speak. But this is a really bad habit when writing. The use of "since" should be only when it is referring to time (like "Since 1990, ..."). His editors should have noted this. He also has many incorrect facts, and statements that were not real logical. I have to wonder why no one every noticed these things during the writing and proofreading stages. I don't want to make a long list of these problems because it is just too long. But unfortunately, his editors are like nearly all other editors of books: they clearly lack the necessary training and experience in good writing practices because they break nearly every good writing practice I've ever seen. But at least they do understand "that" vs. "which." That is something that nearly every writer and editor of the many books I've read just do not understand. So bravo for that. The book also lacks the appropriate headers/footers that show which part of a chapter you are in. For example, his chapters are divided up into categories like "Near Future," "Midcentury," and "Far Future." But most of those pages also have headings inside. So you loose track of which category you are in and where you are in the chapter. The headers or footers should indicate that. It is not difficult to set up running headers/footers (but this book no footers at all). And their running header shows only the name of the chapter (but not the chapter number) on right-facing pages, and the book's name on left-facing pages. The formatting and structure just looks so "old-school," like they are trying to save pages. They could have saved many more pages by better editing and more concise writing. Other than that, it was an interesting read. He is certainly very eloquent, but this is not related to good writing. I am not likely to buy another book written by him unless he gets a much better editor and publisher. Note to Michio: I will edit your work next time for free, just to show you what you are missing.

Over the last 12 years I've bought and read all of the books written by Michio Kaku. But even though this book is al right I also must say that it's most meant for persons who don't know much about the knowledge of today, and for these persons it will fine as the first book concerning this. And as it's helpful for these people I give it a good character even though for my own use I would prefer that it had a higher level in physic and mathematic. Although the book attempt to tell about all the science used today, and maybe in the future, MK for example forget to tell whom it was that brought the name and the idea of the Robot. That is Capek who in his novel used the word Robot for the machines which over time became just as clever as the human beings and then finished by taking over the power. And Capek used the Czechoslovakian word for labor, which is robota. And even before this writing in the 1930es we already had the legend of the Golem in Hungary. Besides on side 132 where MK writes about Rasputin, using the words "Mad monk", it for me look like he maybe is telling the opposite to what actual went on in history of the World. Because he writes that the action of Rasputin maybe resulted in the communists coming to power. But Rasputin among other things tried to stop Russia for going into the First World War. And think about how the history might have turned out quit different at many points if the nobles close to the Tsar had not succeeded in killing Rasputin and if Russia then had not gone into this War! And on side 151 he writes about life spans and then mentions that concerning the alligators and crocodiles in the zoos it looks like that when they are living in peace they nearly lives for eternity. But here we already have the turtle that Darwin brought home to England and which still live, and thereby have lived longer than the alligators and crocodiles. And besides we also now know about a case of a whale in the ocean which is now 172 years old. And furthermore only a few years ago we discovered insects living on the bottom of oceans close to very warn volcanoes and which are now around 300 years old! And on side 161 MK writes that: "The gene for human fur apparently still exists but has been turned of". To this it is to mention that there still exist some person with fur, and we sometime here in Thailand have seen them in TV when they have been interviewed. And it's really strange to se these persons with faces totally covered with a fur existing of long hair. And in the chapter concerning energy he forgets to mention that Shell now is building gigantic ships for gas production out in the oceans, the biggest ships ewer build. They will be 488 meter long and 74 meter wide (1,600 * 243 feet) and weight 600.000 tons. This is 6 times that for the American aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class, and 3 times the newest and biggest of the Maersks ships. And they will be placed out in the oceans by Australia and Korea. . And now when the book was printed we also got knowledge to a belt of anti protons some hundred km over the Earth, in the Van Allen belt. And which prior but physical calculations were found to being there!

ok

米国で人気のある物理学者が、夫々の分野の権威にお話を聞き、視察をした上で未来予測をしている。 分野はコンピュータ、人工知能、医療、ナノテク、エネルギー、宇宙旅行、そして社会についても網羅している。 また、時間軸を２０３０年、２０３０年から２０７０年、２１００年と大まかに区切って予測をしているところに、科学者としての矜持がある。 英語は、気を衒った単語を使わず、それこそ受験英単語で読めるのではないだろうか。 文章の端正さも物理学者らしく、大変読み易い。 一読の価値は絶対にある。

This book is friendly with the new readers interested in science and what will happen in the next century. Additionally this book is a great option for English students who are looking for an interesting lecture.

Outstanding book. Never thought that it would be so good! Very informative and mind blowing

Michio Kaku schafft es, SciFi Fans und Wissenschaftsbegeisterte mit Ausblicken auf eine "bessere" Welt zu begeistern. Durch die Befragung der aktuellen Top-Wissenschaftler zu den neusten Projekten ihres Feldes, erlaubt sich der Autor Spekulationen über eine schöne neue Welt. Dabei wird zwar gemutmaßt, aber in einem mehr oder weniger realistischen - und in jedem Falle nachvollziehbaren - Rahmen. Ich habe dieses Buch verschlungen, denn es ist wirklich sehr schön geschrieben und (sofern man Interessiert ist an der Grundpremisse) man kann fast schon nicht genug davon kriegen. Sämtliche Spekulationen sind (größtenteils) plausibel und der Autor nimmt sich die Zeit, zu erklären wie er sie rechtfertigen kann. Wenn ich auch nicht immer seiner Meinung bin, so hat Michio Kaku es doch geschafft, ein greifbares Bild der Zukunft zu malen. Ich habe mich für die Originalfassung entschieden und ich empfehle jedem, der Englisch auf einem guten Niveau spricht, das selbe zu tun. Übersetzer tun in der Regel ihr bestes, aber ein Original ist eben ein Original. Klare, prägnante Sätze in leicht verständlichem Englisch (von diversen technischen Fachbegriffen einmal abgesehen, diese sind jedoch Interessenten der zu Grunde liegenden Thematik höchst wahrscheinlich ohnehin bekannt). Alles in allem ein hervorragendes Buch mit sehr überzeugendem Unterhaltungswert. Ich würde es jeder Zeit wieder kaufen und werde es sicher noch (mindestens) ein weiteres Mal lesen. 5 Sterne also, uneingeschränkte Kaufempfehlung.