Kismet Arts Tangent

Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100 by Kaku, Michio (Book – 2011)

Summary: Kaku makes his predictions about the future. He talks about his experiences as the host of this science program or that television special. He uses his “insider” knowledge to describe the wonders of the future, if we can just leap over this little hurdle of what we call the energy crisis. Describing nanobots, starships, Mars outposts, the book is optimistic about the future and humanity’s role in it. “Empires of the future will be empires of the mind.” –Winston Churchill, the heading quote for the introduction of this book.

Review: He’s good. Kaku mixes pop culture to better relate to his reader, and it works. He refers to the Matrix, Surrogates, I, Robot, Flash Gordon, Star Trek, Star Wars, etc. to say that we have dreamt of a technological future and we were right (if we can get our act together and start supporting science and technology). As he shows from historical examples, science and technology are the engines of wealth. He often mentions after each chapter how our lexicon will change as technologies advance and eradicate things like tumors and paper. Kaku also emphasizes the importance of education (and how we Americans import our big thinkers from other countries, and that needs to change by revamping the system).

Rating: 7 claytronic atoms

Favorite part: “For countless eons were passive observers of the dance of nature. We only gazed in wonder and fear at comets, lightning bolts, volcanic eruptions, and plagues, assuming that they were beyond our comprehension. To the ancients, the forces of nature were an eternal mystery to be feared and worshipped, so they created the gods of mythology to makes sense of the world around them. The ancients hoped that by praying to these gods they would show mercy and grant them their dearest wishes.

Today, we have become the choreographers of the dance of nature, able to tweak the laws of nature here and there. But by 2100, we will make the transition to being masters of nature.” P.10

Wine-pairing: Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed is a 2005 book by Jared M. Diamond. Michio Kaku talks about how we need to get past our current obstacles of energy and politics and the future is ours (we will win the future) by developing into a Type 1 society, a planetary civilization that harnesses all the energy the sun so generously bestows upon us. Collapse is about mistakes in our past and present that can slow us down if not totally destroy our future possibilities.