Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel

353 Pages·2008·4.67 MB·English

by  Michio Kaku

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U.S. $26.95/Canada $32.00
A fascinating exploration of the science
of the impossible—from death rays
and force fields to invisibility cloahs—
reuealing to what entent such technolo­
gies might be achieuable decades or
millennia into the future
O
ne 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 fundamen­
tals—and the limits—of the laws of physics as we
know them today. He ranks the impossible technolo­
gies by category—Class I, II, and III—depending on
when they might be achieved, within the next cen­
tury, 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 "down­
stream"
• How ramjet rockets, laser sails, antimatter en­
gines, and nanorockets may one day take us to
the nearby stars
• How telepathy and psychokinesis, once consid­
ered pseudoscience, may one day be possible
using advances in MRI, computers, supercon­
ductivity, and nanotechnology
• Why a time machine is apparently consistent with
the known laws of quantum physics, although it
would take an unbelievably advanced civiliza­
tion to actually build one
(continued from front flap)
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, mes­
merizing journey into the world of science that
both enlightens and entertains.
ftllCHIO KAKU
is the Henry Semat Professor of
Theoretical Physics at the Graduate Center of the
City University of New York. He is the cofounder of
string field theory. He has written several books,
including Parallel Worlds and Beyond Einstein, and his
bestseller, Hyperspace, was voted one of the best sci­
ence books of the year by the New York Times and the
Washington Post. He is a frequent guest on national
TV, and his nationally syndicated radio program is
heard in 130 cities. He lives in New York City.
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Jacket design by Annabelle Bronstein
Jacket photograph by David A. Hardy/Science Photo Library
Author photograph by Andrea Brizzi
Printed in the U.SA.
ADUANCE PRAISE FOR PHYSICS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE
"A genuine tour de force, skillfully delivering cogent descriptions of everything
from subatomic structure to the laws of the universe."
—KIRKUS REVIEWS (starred)
CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR PARALLEL WORLDS
"A wonderful tour, with an expert guide, of a cosmos whose comprehension
forces us to stretch to the very limits of imagination."
—Brian Greene, author of THE FABRIC OF THE COSMOS
"A highly readable and exhilarating romp through the frontiers of cosmology."
—Martin Rees, author of OUR COSMIC HABITAT and OUR FINAL CENTURY
"A roller-coaster ride through the universe—and beyond—by one
of the world's finest science writers."
—Paul Davies, Australian Centre for Astrobiology, Macquarie University,
Sydney, and author of HOW TO BUILD A TIME MACHINE
CRITICAL ACCLAim FOR HVPERSPÛCE
"One of the best popular accounts of higher physics."
—Jim Holt, WALL STREET JOURNAL
"Among the best of the genre to appear in recent years . . .
What a wonderful adventure it is."
—NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
"Mesmerizing . . . the reader exits dizzy, elated, and looking at the
world in a literally revolutionary way."
—WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD
PHYSICS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE
Other books by Michio Kaku
PARALLEL WORLDS
EINSTEIN'S COSMOS
VISIONS
HYPERSPACE
BEYOND EINSTEIN
i
p /PS
I IIP
A SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION
INTO THE WORLD OF PHASERS, FORCE FIELDS,
TELEPORTATION, AND TIME TRAVEL
Doubleday
NEW YORK LONDON TORONTO SYDNEY AUCKLAND
PUBLISHED BY DOUBLED AY
Copyright © 2008 by Michio Raku
All Rights Reserved
Published in the United States by Doubleday, an imprint of
The Doubleday Broadway Publishing Group, a division
of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.doubleday.com
DOUBLEDAY and the portrayal of an anchor with a dolphin
are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Raku, Michio.
Physics of the impossible : a scientific exploration into the world of phasers, force
fields, teleportation, and time travel / Michio Raku. -1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Physics-Miscellanea. 2. Science-Miscellanea. 3. Mathematical physics-
Miscellanea. 4. Physics in literature. 5. Human-machine systems. I. Title.
QC75.R18 2008
530-dc25
2007030290
ISBN 978-0-385-52069-0
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
1 3 5 79 10 8 6 42
First Edition
To my loving wife, Shizue,
and to
Michelle and Alyson