One hundred years ago, scientists would have said that lasers, televisions, and the atomic bomb were beyond the realm of physical possibility. In his new book, Physics of the Impossible, the renowned physicist Michio Kaku explores to what extent technologies and devices deemed equally impossible today might become commonplace in the future. From teleportation to the routine use of force fields, Kaku uses the world of science fiction to explore the fundamentals — and the limits — of the laws of physics as we know them today. He explains how: The science of optics, electromagnetism, and light may be able to be used to simulate invisibility; Enhancing the sensitivity of MRI devices may someday allow us to read minds; Magnetic fields, superconductors, and nanotechnologies may eventually enable scientists to levitate an elevator in outer space.
Dr. Michio Kaku is the Henry Semat Professor of Theoretical Physics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. In addition to being co-founder of the String Field Theory, he is the author of several widely acclaimed books, including Parallel Worlds, Visions, Beyond Einstein, and Hyperspace, which was named one of the best science books of the year by the New York Times and the Washington Post. He hosts a nationally syndicated radio science program and has appeared on such national television shows as Nightline, 60 Minutes, Good Morning America, and Larry King Live.