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Travel Planning Book Store > Travel Planning books beginning with P
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Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel |
Author: Michio Kaku
Published: 2008-03-11 |
List price: $26.95
Our price: $17.79
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As of: November 21st, 2008 01:40:41 PM
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Customer comments on this selection.
 The Impossible is Merely Preposterous
Michio Kaku has a strong literary record as a Sagan-like popularizer of the deepest science, with a true concern for the knowledge of the masses. Kaku's previous books (especially "Hyperspace") are imminently readable treasures for the physics enthusiast who doesn't hold multiple PhD's. But unfortunately, this latest book is not very well written and mostly recycles material that has been presented better elsewhere. Here Kaku builds mostly from fanciful science fiction gadgets and processes like time travel, wormholes, telepathy, and even perpetual motion machines. Many of these amazing things might just be possible in the future - either the near future or the extremely far future - and Kaku delivers on the laws of physics that would have to be conquered (or even altered) for some of these "impossibilities" to see the light of day.
But the book is awkwardly paced, with Kaku often going off on tangents into obscure areas of academia that I suspect need a popular author to drum up funding, such as research into gravitational waves or the construction of immense super-colliders. And after drifting into such esoteric realms, Kaku tends to return abruptly to pop sci-fi gadgets and quick pronouncements on whether or not they're possible. One perplexing example is a wide detour into the bizarre realm of tachyons that derails an initially straightforward chapter on precognition. Kaku's pop culture coverage is also fractured and arbitrary, at least as presented here, which can be seen in the chapters on extraterrestrials/UFOs and robots. Another problem is an inconsistent attitude toward the possibility of new discoveries about the laws of the universe. On several occasions Kaku points out incorrect pronouncements on this matter from old closed-minded scientists, but can't always avoid making the same mistake himself when speaking of present-day breakthroughs.
Granted, this is still a mostly interesting book, but Kaku is not entirely successful in combining cutting-edge knowledge with often cheesy or outdated science fiction fantasies. This leads to some awkward writing and pacing that are not up to Kaku's usual standards. [~doomsdayer520~]
 Impossible to some, magic to others, possible with time...
A brilliant insight to the possible, and what seems impossible, of future technologies. A must read for both novice and technical readers of physics literature.
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.
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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