Scan barcode
docmon2025's review against another edition
5.0
Fascinating look at the potential technologies to come, inspired by sci-fi. I was surprised what concepts turned out to be Class 1 Impossibilities (possible with better technology) and which were Class 3 (laws of physics need to change).
kashfi666's review against another edition
5.0
The hypothetical theory that inventable. Great Knowledge bout' future and increment of loving science.
Einstein says Imagination is greater than knowledge. So hypothetical theories are greater than knowledge.
Einstein says Imagination is greater than knowledge. So hypothetical theories are greater than knowledge.
aahlvers's review against another edition
5.0
In Physics of the Impossible, author Michio Kaku explores the fantastical world of science fiction and tells us exactly which of these “impossible” inventions are actually possible, at least according to our understanding of the current laws of physics. While most of these will not be seen in our lifetime, this intensely readable text makes it fun to imagine the possibilities that await future generations. Kaku does an outstanding job of making physics understandable and enjoyable, a remarkable feat for a science writer.
mexscrabbler's review against another edition
5.0
This 2008 book was written by Michio Kaku, a theoretical physicist at City College of NY, a co-founder of string field theory and a follower of Einstein's quest to derive a unified theory of everything. He is also a well-known writer with a knack for explaining things as simply as possible (but not more so). In this book he does an excellent job at explaining, in layman's terms (well... a bit more than a layman's knowledge is recommended), some of the cutting edge technologies that are pushing the boundaries between Science Fiction and Science.
He does this by dividing the technologies into three categories: Class I, II and II Impossibilities (because all progress consists of making the "impossible" possible. All of the classes require conformance to known laws of physics.
Class I impossibilities are impossible today but can be understood with today's Physics, so could be realizable in this century or the next. Examples are force fields, teleportation, antimatter engines and telepathy.
Class 2 impossibilities are just beyond our understanding of the physical world, but could be possible on a scale of millenia. They include things like time machines and hyperspace travel.
Class 3 impossibilities violate the laws of Physics, and these technologies, if implemented, would cause a fundamental shiift in our understanding of the world. Examples include perpetual motion machines and precognition.
Each technology / concept is introduced with a history of its appearance throughout history, in ancient cultures, in science fiction or in cutting edge development.
It is a very stimulating book, and I only regret that it has not been updated to include the last 13 years during which much progress has been made in Class 1 technologies.
He does this by dividing the technologies into three categories: Class I, II and II Impossibilities (because all progress consists of making the "impossible" possible. All of the classes require conformance to known laws of physics.
Class I impossibilities are impossible today but can be understood with today's Physics, so could be realizable in this century or the next. Examples are force fields, teleportation, antimatter engines and telepathy.
Class 2 impossibilities are just beyond our understanding of the physical world, but could be possible on a scale of millenia. They include things like time machines and hyperspace travel.
Class 3 impossibilities violate the laws of Physics, and these technologies, if implemented, would cause a fundamental shiift in our understanding of the world. Examples include perpetual motion machines and precognition.
Each technology / concept is introduced with a history of its appearance throughout history, in ancient cultures, in science fiction or in cutting edge development.
It is a very stimulating book, and I only regret that it has not been updated to include the last 13 years during which much progress has been made in Class 1 technologies.
kahht's review against another edition
4.0
Physics of the Impossible provides an accessible and fun read with science to boot. The book references popular sci-fi like Star Trek and Isaac Asimov and explains to the reader when we might see the technologies in these books or why we never will. The level of difficulty isn't so great as to isolate even the non-science enthusiasts.
jeannemixon's review against another edition
5.0
When I first started this book, I got stopped by the science. Who knew physics was so hard to understand. I was going to return it to my granddaughter's dad and told her it was too hard for me because there was so much science. She said, well, grandma is there a lot of math? I said no no math, just words. She said, but then you should be able to read it if it's just words.
So I gave it a second try and pushed through the harder words and really enjoyed it! The conceit is that Kaku is exploring the feasibility of science fiction tropes that are currently considered impossible. He divides them into three categories: impossible but maybe in the near future possible as we learn more and develop better tools; impossible for us but if you could harness the power of the sun or something advanced like that maybe not impossible; and violates the laws of physics as we understand them currently. For some of the problems he states the question and then subtly changes it in his answer which sounds annoying but is actually entertaining.
While the books sounds kind of silly -- are you really interested in warp drives or invisibility -- he has actually produced a guide to the current state of physics as of the writing of the book, 2009. Which sounds like not so long ago, but as some reviewers pointed out in the world of science, especially the world of robotics, is. But since I am not a scientist, it was interesting to me to read about the state of physics in 2009. I assume that if you want an update on how things turned out, you can simply check wikipedia. For me 2009 was current enough.
So I gave it a second try and pushed through the harder words and really enjoyed it! The conceit is that Kaku is exploring the feasibility of science fiction tropes that are currently considered impossible. He divides them into three categories: impossible but maybe in the near future possible as we learn more and develop better tools; impossible for us but if you could harness the power of the sun or something advanced like that maybe not impossible; and violates the laws of physics as we understand them currently. For some of the problems he states the question and then subtly changes it in his answer which sounds annoying but is actually entertaining.
While the books sounds kind of silly -- are you really interested in warp drives or invisibility -- he has actually produced a guide to the current state of physics as of the writing of the book, 2009. Which sounds like not so long ago, but as some reviewers pointed out in the world of science, especially the world of robotics, is. But since I am not a scientist, it was interesting to me to read about the state of physics in 2009. I assume that if you want an update on how things turned out, you can simply check wikipedia. For me 2009 was current enough.
azambrano's review against another edition
5.0
De lo mas entretenido en divulgación científica que he leído en varios años. Definitivamente busca enganchar con la cultura pop, y lo hace explicando varios conceptos claves para captar la realidad tal y como la entiende la ciencia mas actualizada. Muy recomendable.
adagar's review against another edition
4.0
Kaku seems to find a better writing voice halfway into the book, once things get into Class II impossibilities. Class I impossibilities, which apparently just lurk over our technological horizon (I think they're debatable but he's a lot smarter than me obviously) don't seem to excite him, or his writing, very much.