Book Review: Physics Of The Impossible

A book that might turn your superheroic fantasies into reality.

“If at first an idea does not sound absurd, then there is no hope for it.” - Albert Einstein

Greetings, fellow Bohron

We all have grown up idolizing superheroes and have dreamt of possessing their superpowers someday. Be it Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak, Marty McFly’s DeLorean time machine or John Anderton’s Precogs, we all have imagined wielding these dream technologies, perhaps for our selfish gains.

Physics of the Impossible is the book you’ve been looking for. It holds all the answers: whether certain futuristic technologies are allowed by laws of physics and how long will it take to turn our fantasies into reality. Here’s a comprehensive review of the book.

Source

Book Description

Physics Of The Impossible: A Scientific Exploration Into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel is a 2008 popular science book by Michio Kaku. It explores the research on future technology by blending the elements of physics and science fiction.

Michio Kaku strikes a pose! - Source

Author: Michio Kaku

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Language: English

Genre: Popular Science, Science Fiction

Page Count: 352

My Rating: 5/5

Contents

Contents page of the book. I know even a glance at it ignites the curiosity in you. Source

PART I - CLASS I IMPOSSIBILITIES

1. Force Fields
   Can an impenetrable barrier–like the one wielded by Scarlet Witch in the Marvel–be built in reality? Plasma shields, carbon nanotubes and photochromatic lenses might hold the answer.

2. Invisibility
   Believe it or not, Harry Potter’s invisible cloak is already a reality. Kaku discusses the physics of invisibility and how it can be achieved by using metamaterials, plasmonics and holograms. 

3. Phasers and Death Stars
   Want to match the coolness of Luke Skywalker wielding a lightsaber? Kaku explains why such a device is very difficult to make in reality. The physics of lasers, the Inertial and Magnetic Confinement Fusion techniques are thoroughly covered. 

4. Teleportation
   Teleportation is also a real superpower already, thanks to Einstein’s efforts to disapprove the claim that quantum mechanics provides a complete description of our universe. The EPR paper introduced the concept of quantum entanglement, a phenomenon that has been exploited by scientists all over the world to teleport an ensemble of atoms in air, sea and outer space.

5. Telepathy
   Mind reading, the famous old magic trick, is still a dream. The science behind EEG, PET and MRI scans is explored here. Leading research to build foolproof lie detectors, handheld telepathic devices, universal translators and mapping of the human brain is extensively discussed.  

6. Psychokinesis
   Another extensively performed magic trick is the ability to move objects with just your brain power. Its research is also picking up pace lately, with neuroscientists using biofeedback techniques to train monkeys, and handicapped people to do various chores just by thinking.

7. Robots
   Will AI overpower us one day? Kaku explores the history of robots starting from the father of AI - Alan Turing. Top-down and Bottom-up approaches to developing intelligent robots are covered. Then he predicts the future of AI through Moore’s Law.  

8. Extraterrestrials and UFOs
   This chapter is all about our long-sought quest to find life elsewhere in the universe. The basic scientific necessities for life to exist on an exoplanet, the Harold-Urey experiment, Drake’s equation, the SETI program and the physics of advanced civilizations is explored.

9. Starships
   Interstellar travel! How does it work and what are the proposed technologies to build a spacecraft? The physics of Ion and Plasma engines, Solar Sails, Ramjet Fusion Engines, and Space Elevators is covered.

10. Antimatter and Anti-universes
    Delve into the story of anti-matter and the physics of CPT symmetries of the universe here.

PART II - CLASS II IMPOSSIBILITIES

1. Faster Than Light
   Even though Einstein’s Special Relativity puts an upper limit to the maximum speed we can attain, Kaku tries to find loopholes in the theory and a way to achieve faster-than-light travel: Alcubierre’s warp drive and wormholes.

2. Time Travel
   What is time? Is time travel possible? How to build a time machine or is there one already? What paradoxes do we have to confront in order to travel to the past? The answer lies in Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. 

3. Parallel Universes
   Quantum Mechanics and String Theory take centre stage here. Hugh Everett’s Many Words Interpretation focuses on quantum universes while String theory tries to find higher planes of existence beyond the three dimensions which our brain can visualize.

PART III - CLASS III IMPOSSIBILITIES

1. Perpetual Motion Machines
   PPMs are clearly against the rules of thermodynamics, as we understand them currently. The classification of PPMs and the history of frauds done in their name is extensively explored here.

2. Precognition
   Is it possible to predict the future? Kaku discusses doomsday predictions in history before presenting the central conundrum around precognition: violation of causality. He then proposes a method to solve it: travelling backwards in time and its link to antimatter.

What will be one word/sentence description of this book?

A book that teaches you everything is impossible until we start doing it.

What makes this book different from other popular science books?

Most of the popular science books are concerned with a specific domain of science written to serve a particular section of the audience interested in that domain. This book is not only about physics. It delves into popular culture, computer science, neuroscience, biology, philosophy and the history of the advancement of civilization. It will open you to numerous emerging scientific fields and broaden the horizon of your knowledge.

Why did I find this book so enjoyable?

Growing up watching T.V. shows like Through The Wormhole with Morgan Freeman and Ben-10 and sci-fi movies like Deep Impact and Zathura: A Space Adventure, I was naturally attracted towards finding the secrets behind these dream technologies and needed little motivation to finish it.

A book that will open you to the world of possibilities. Order here.

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