Physics of the Impossible
A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel
by Michio Kaku · first published 2008
71% recommend29% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Pop-science look at whether sci-fi technologies like faster-than-light travel, force fields, and teleportation are physically feasible; suits readers curious about the theory behind sci-fi ideas, not engineering detail.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A fascinating exploration of the science of the impossible—from death rays and force fields to invisibility cloaks—revealing to what extent such technologies might be achievable decades or millennia into the future. One hundred years ago, scientists would have said that lasers, televisions, and the atomic bomb were beyond the realm of physical possibility. In Physics of the Impossible, the renowned physicist Michio Kaku explores to what extent the technologies and devices of science fiction that are deemed equally impossible today might well become commonplace in the future. From telepo
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Flip phones were designed from the communicators in the original series of Star Trek. If you're interested in the more theoretical side of the Beeb's article then I'd recommend Michio Kaku's book "Physics of the Impossible"[1] (he also did a TV series on this topic but that wasn't nearly as good in my opinion) [1] https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/cka/Physics-Impossible-Scientific...
on “Science fact: Sci-fi inventions that became reality” ↗There is a very interesting book Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku (http://www.amazon.com/Physics-Impossible-Scientific-Explorat...). It is exactly about those questions.
on “Ask HN: Stark Trek - How far are we?” ↗"Physics of the Impossible" by Michio Kaku
on “Ask HN: Best book you read in 2011” ↗If you like this sort of thing, you might enjoy the book "Physics of the Impossible", which examines the feasibility of various science fiction technologies (such as FTL) from a pop-sci level.
on “Making Progress on Star Trek Physics” ↗Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI by Yuval Noah Harari Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel The Perfectionists: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World
on “Ask HN: What are young technically minded people reading?” ↗This reminds me of something that I think I first read about in Michio Kaku's book Physics of the Impossible where a Bose-Einstein condensate was used as a medium for "teleportation". I believe in his book he referred to the experiment referenced here. http://www.physorg.com/news102681027.html They are careful…
on “Light slowed down to 38 mph” ↗In physics of the impossible (in 2008, I know a lot of our opinions of the author have shifted) Michio Kaku makes a pretty good case that force fields are the least likely phenomenon to exist. There’s just not a field that hangs…
on “Shields up: New ideas might make active shielding viable” ↗