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Physics Of The Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny And Our Daily Lives By The Year 2100 (2011)

by Michio Kaku(Favorite Author)

3.96 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0385530803 (ISBN13: 9780385530804)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Doubleday

review 1: A fascinating look at how the world might change in the future, while also giving some good basic information on various subjects - for example, Kaku breaks down how gene therapy works, and also what it could lead to. Kaku's style of writing is informative and accessible, and the only time I found myself starting to lose focus was during the fictional narrative covering a typical day in 2100. In a way, that section suffers from a lack of imagination in what people would be like, despite having well thought out possibilities for technology; it seems more like an example of what someone from today would act like if we had all of that technology today. Still, that got me thinking about things... like, one hundred years ago, someone wouldn't have even been able to conceive of ... morethe internet, but even if they could imagine it, they probably wouldn't be able to foresee the rise of things like social media, youtube, etc. and how those things are changing the way humanity deals with privacy and public appearance.Kaku's pretty optimistic about the future (he even only mentions the idea of humanity going extinct one time), so this book is at times almost like a really well researched version of the cliched utopian future. Fortunately the book's foundation is in science and balances that vision with various realistic possibilities, and in any case it's a great source of basic information related to physics for the layperson.
review 2: Kaku is a little like the Renaissance Man of our times - except, of course, there's just too much information nowadays for anyone to do more than lightly touch on all the fields he included. Plus, there is broad oversimplifying of subject matter in case you don't have a PhD in the hard sciences (and, apparently, fewer Americans do everyday). Naturally, some of the nuance and detail is lost. Kaku also comes off as VERY pro-science, pro-technology, and pro-globalization. Picking "government approved genes" for your offspring doesn't seem to perturb any delicate balance for him. He's very positive and doesn't seem to share my concerns about human nature or about the threatening aspects of all the technology he supports. Yes, he acknowledges the "Cave Man Principle" and weaves it into themes related to economics and society, but there is little to no reference to any real mental health or spirituality, both integrally important in the development of the human species. Maybe he would disagree. The book would indicate so. Nevertheless, well worth the read and a good reference to have around, especially for those of us who like to write. (At least, we don't have to worry about robots replacing novelists any time soon, according to Kaku!) In general, quite an achievement. less

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