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

By Michio Kaku

Book Overview

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - The renowned theoretical physicist and national bestselling author of The God Equation details the developments in computer technology, artificial intelligence, medicine, space... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307473333
• ISBN13: 9780307473332
• Release Date: February 2012
• Publisher: Vintage
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 1.04 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.9" x 0.9" x 5.1"

Customer Reviews

Too many mistakes and mistaken assumptions.

I enjoy watching Michio Kaku on various TV specials and short news blurbs, so I decided to pick up a copy from the local library. Still, you may want to buy this book so that you can take your time reading it. The copyright year is 2011. This book has an extensive introduction to his plan to predict the future and how he understands the principles of correctly predicting the future of physics. Unfortunately, he gets a lot of the history wrong and today’s technology wrong. So, is it surprising that he predicts the end of Moore’s law without taking into consideration the various ways in which new thinking and materials will easily extend the law into the future? Yes, I know that the previous statement does not contain details. However, I could write a book on just the mistakes in the vision displayed by Michio Kaku. One example, and then you are on your own. At first, he nails the problem when he states, "In 1893, as part of the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 74 well-known individuals were asked to predict what life would be like in the next 100 years. The one problem was that they consistently underestimated the rate of progress of science." Then he goes on to make the exact mistake as he says, “But this process cannot go on forever. At some point, it will be physically impossible to etch transistors in the way that is the size of atoms." Now, who is consistently underrating the rate of progress of science? On a personal note, it may be correct that old habits never die. But I have not hit the printer once this year at work (sorry, Infoprint). I only commute to work to get away from the cats at home. And I am the only one in an empty office. My coworkers are strewn over the U.S. and support staff around the world. However, I can overlook a few faux pas to see what he is trying to say. Much of the speculation in this book seems to be related to old sci-fi movies and old TV programs. He missed the Science Fiction Theatre (1955 TV series) [1955-1957] program on the driverless car; it was probably before his time. After Michio Kaku talked about watching Superman and having his powers, the one thing I am looking forward to is glasses that can discover Victoria’s Secret. If you like this book, then do not miss “The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World.”