Michio Kaku, author of the book Physics of the Impossible, introduces complex theories of physics to general readers. Kaku makes a good stab at explaining difficult physics. But his grasp of his subject is perhaps trumped by his knowledge of science fiction. Kaku uses discussion of speculative technologies to introduce topics of fundamental physics to the reader. The topic of invisibility becomes a discussion on why the speed of light is slower in water than a vacuum, that electromagnetism is similar to ripples in a pond, and Kaku discusses newly-developed composite materials. Each chapter is named by a possible, or improbable, technology of the future, and is classified as Class 1 impossibilities, Class 2 impossibilities, or Class 3 impossibilities. After a look at the development of today's technology, there is discussion as to how this advanced technology might become a reality. In the future, current technologies are still recognizable, but in a slightly altered form. For example, when discussing force fields of the future, Dr. Kaku writes about cutting edge laser technology, and newly developed plasma windows. He also writes about future societies and how we will control the entire system of earth. “We will be able to control Earth’s weather, and we will have one language” (284Kaku).

I enjoyed reading this book, and I have realized that our technology is progressing faster than we think. Some scientists believe we on the verge of a new era of scientific breakthroughs. The fact that this book uses Sci-Fi technology to open the door to real science is interesting. However, he writes, it also has the added effect of making discoveries that might otherwise end up being obscure as giving us a feeling of being closer to that optimistic future. When bending microwaves around an object, rather than being just an obscure physics experiment, it creates a feeling that a Star Trek cloaking device is just around the corner. This book will renew the confidence in future scientists to experiment and never give up.

This book is probably the most addicting book I have ever read; it covered everything relating to my topic and then some. It was so interesting and positive; it drew its conclusions based on future understandings of how things work. for example, we might think time travel is impossible because we haven't seen any tourist from the future, but Kaku concludes that they probably are invisible by the time time travel is available we will have invisibility. Dr. Kaku has broken the barrier of impossible physics and I believe that nothing is impossible.

Kaku, Michio. Physics of the Impossible. New York: Doubleday, 2008. 329. Print.

Michio Kaku, visiting ASU, talks about telepathy and its development in the world of science. He states that we will be able to surf the World Wide Web while taking a final exam. “Imagine taking a final exam, staring off into space, and the answers coming right to you. Wouldn’t that be great?”(Kaku) A stroke victim who is now paralyzed can now do anything you can on the computer; he could even drive a car that is remote controlled. He also mentions the future of space exploration. Using a solar sail and a laser from the moon we could sail across the universe the only problem is getting back.

Michio Kaku states that telepathy and starships are possible in the near future. I believe that his statements on telepathy are very true. Telepathy is very close to becoming commercially available. The example he shared about the stroke victim changed my view about the technological advances we have made. Starships on another note will probably be down the road, hundreds of years down the road. Starships are not impossible, but we don’t possess the recourses needed to create an interstellar ship.
WORKS CITED: "Dr. Michio Kaku: SCI FI or SCI FACT Lecture PART 3." YouTube. Web. 8 Apr 2010. .

Interstellar travel is possible with the right engine and the right amount of fuel. For a starship to work and perform correctly it needs a huge amount of fuel to reach the nearest star system. Thanks to Robert W. Bussard, we have the theory of a Ramjet Fusion engine. Now this is an engine that as it travels it has a scooper that collects hydrogen and converts it to energy that propels the ship. In this case the ship would not have a payload of fuel to carry. “Of course, this is a moot point, as the fusion engine at the heart of the ship hasn’t even got to the back of the envelope stage of development and if it ever does prove worth building we’re talking engineering on a planetary scale”(Zondy1). So the engine is far from being built, but starships are indeed coming.

Starships have always been thought about as being impossible, but yet we still see references to them every day. A Ramjet Fusion engine sounds like a very good way of traveling the universe. Hydrogen as a fuel source seems very plausible, especially when most of the universe is made of hydrogen. The Hydrogen scooper is an excellent way of fueling the ship, but only 1% of the molecule can be used so we would require a scooper that was hundreds of miles wide to obtain the amount needed. All in all this engine, with the proper refinements in the coming years, would in fact be the key to interstellar travel.

WORKS CITED: Zondy, David. "Bussard Ramjet Fusion Engine." (2009): 1. Web. 8 Apr 2010. .

At Duke University a team of scientists called DURHAM NC. Set out to bend microwaves. They successfully made an object invisible to microwaves. The key material was Metamaterials, “artificial composites that can be made to interact with electromagnetic waves in ways that natural materials cannot reproduce” (Morgan1). They precisely placed concentric circles around a cylinder and shot microwave radiation at it. The cloak bent the microwaves as if the object wasn’t there. We have now proven that light can be bent. Invisibility is now possible.

Invisibility: Impossible to see; not visible. Many people would love to have the ability to perform invisibility. Duke University has successfully taken the first step to accomplishing true invisibility. All the text books in the world on Optics are wrong. Invisibility was thought to be downright impossible, but that has not stopped physicists from exploring the impossible. Pratt school of Engineering has broken the impossible barrier, and full invisibility in the coming years shall be possible. In the coming decades we will be able to have commercial invisibility cloaks so to speak. Everyday a scientist gets closer and closer to creating impossible things, and making them possible.
Here is a link to a video about this recent discovery: http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2006/10/cloakdemo.html

WORK CITED: Morgan, Kendall. "First Demonstration of a Working Invisibility Cloak." 2010 Office of News & Communications. (2010): 1. Print.