Has anyone read this excellent book by renowned physicist Michio Kaku? I must say that it is one of the most intriguing books I have ever read.
I'm slowly working my way through it (along with about a dozen other books) I've always enjoyed Kaku's writing style. Very optimistic and upbeat, while still maintaining strong values of experimental empiricism. He enjoys speculation and isn't afraid to admit it. It really helps him relate with the non-academic scientific audience.
No... but the title has me interested. Tell me, what's some of the subject matter? Does it cover stuff such as the irresistible force paradox?
It's lighter reading than that. I have another book which delves into those sort of subjects (I can get you the title when I'm at home). Physics of the Impossible explores more of the culturally popular sci-fi ideas. Force fields, laser weapons, invisibility and that kind of stuff. He investigates the origins of the idea, what the technology is like right now, and what it could be. I've only read about 60 or 80 pages, So maybe the OP can give you more detail.
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 buildone 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.
its off topic, but I just saw a book called '13 things that dont make sense' seems kinda like this kaku book, but provides more questions than answers I think, pointing out various things that modern science cant explain one example is the acceleration of the voyager craft...i really need to pick it up