The Physics Of The Future by Michio Kaku

From The Week of May 01, 2011

I have always been fascinated by the question of what our world will look like in the decades to come. Will the outlandish promises of optimistic, world-changing science fiction come to pass, or will our species' penchant for self-destruction wed technological advancement with personal indulgence to create a world saturated by empty, purposeless vice? Though both of these outcomes seem, to me, equally possible, Professor Kaku, a highly decorated physicist, and a co-founder of String Theory, makes, here, a strong case that, by the year 2100, our world will have revolutionized itself into a jewel of technological and intellectual capacity the likes of which we can barely fathom.

From energy production to magnetism, from artificial intelligence to nanotechnology, professor Kaku walks the reader through cutting edge advancements in each of his chosen fields before, with admirable clarity, laying out the progress, in theoretical and practical knowledge, we can expect from each. He manages this by breaking them down into three sections, the near future (present day to 2030), the middle future (2030 to 2070), and the far future (2070 to 2100). Though it's impossible to know if his predictions will come true, he's clearly picked the brains of the top minds in each field, informing his own conclusions with their expertise to generate a plausible framework for what's to come.

Physics of The Future is an unapologetically positive view of the future. It stubbornly refuses to take the frailties of human nature into account as it logically and optimistically charts out what's ahead for our species and our world. It may be that professor Kaku's oversights will cause his predictions to be wildly off the mark, but what if he's right? What if, in 50 years, we'll have harnessed the powers of magnetism to reduce transportation times by factors of ten? What if we can utilize nanotechnology to instantly order up the fabrication of everything from textiles to computers? What if we can put into orbit super-efficient solar panels that can capture and send down to earth all the power our civilization can use? What isn't possible in a world enlightened by such liberating marvels?

If you like to dream of a better future, this is a must-read. But if you're a cynic like I am, there's plenty of fascinating science here to maintain your attention. Idealistic? Absolutely. Exciting and inspiring? Unquestionably. (4/5 Stars)