Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration of the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Presented by Science & the City
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 technologies and devices deemed equally impossible today might become commonplace in the future.
From teleportation to the routine use of force fields, 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 explains how:
- The science of optics, electromagnetism, and light may be able to be used to simulate invisibility
- Enhancing the sensitivity of MRI devices may someday allow us to read minds
- Magnetic fields, superconductors, and nanotechnologies may eventually enable scientists to levitate an elevator in outer space
An extraordinary scientific adventure, Physics of the Impossible takes readers on a journey into the world of science that both enlightens and entertains.
Michio Kaku, PhD, is the Henry Semat Professor of Theoretical Physics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He has written several books, including Hyperspace, which was voted one of the best science books of the year by The New York Times and The Washington Post, and is the host of a nationally syndicated radio program. He lives in New York City.