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mar's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
4.0
the billionaires arent gonna fuck you bro
mirandaosmelak's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.75
Read again in paper and annotate. Fascinating.
so64's review against another edition
4.0
Space exploration has always flared society's imagination. The thought of traveling to space. Of potentially meeting an intelligent alien species. Of exploring exotic, strange new worlds. Of eventually expanding beyond Earth and our solar system. Yet what would the challenges be to this goal? What new technologies would have to be developed to establish new settlements in space? And how would these technologies influence human civilization? Future of Humanity written by Michio Kaku, the well-known theoretical physicist and professor at City University, seeks to answer these questions. And while he does broach these questions, he does so in a very generalized manner. Thus while the book will be accessible to most people, it does feel that some information has been removed to maintain accessibility. And while the book is very informative, the focus on space somewhat limits his scope.
As aforementioned, this book is very accessible and it is one of the main strengths of the book. Kaku takes his time in explaining humanity’s future by discussing past discoveries by scientists in the field of rocketry. He does this for two major reasons. One is to show how society at times tends to mock certain ideas for how innovative they can be. For example, he points to the New York Times editorial which mocked one of the scientists, Richard Goddard, in the 1920’s. Back then, it was commonly thought that rockets could not work in space; space was a vacuum and people thought that the rocket not being able to move since it could not push against anything. Yet he shows that so long as people continue to test these ideas and find value in them, they will eventually be accepted by the society at large. The New York Times would issue a retraction after Apollo 11 moon landing, apologizing for their error.
Kaku also uses historical research to point out that the technology can be abused. He points to the use of advances of rocketry by the scientist Von Braun for the German war machine in WWII. And he does this not to try to paint the technology as bad, but how people utilize the technology. Which is a good point considering some of the ideas mentioned in this book. From the use of nuclear bombs to accelerate a rocket to the concept of utilizing gene editing and manipulation to craft better bodies to function in the atmosphere of faraway planets and solar systems, many of the ideas promoted in the book are fantastical. And not in the sense of being unrealistic. Every idea in the book Kaku supports with scientific background and explanation. They are fantastical in the sense of being so imaginative that it is hard to comprehend and for a lesser writer, to explain. Yet the way Kaku explains these concepts and ideas, the way he utilizes analogies makes it easy for a person to comprehend. But this does come with a cost.
Since Kaku’s focus is on space, at times it does feel like he does not explain far enough the consequences of these technologies. For example, gene modification would seem like it would raise ethical questions. Kaku somewhat addresses this problem with a concept he calls the “Caveman Principle,” the idea being that since human beings evolved two hundred thousand years ago, we have not changed ourselves despite our technological advantages. And even though there may be some who do modify themselves, they will only do so if it raises their stature among society. Now while there is truth to these words, I feel that it is somewhat of a sidestep of the issues, rather than fully addressing them head-on. Furthermore, it feels like some things he does miss since he goes through a lot of information. For example, he does not address reproduction or reproductive technology. And that is important for creating a colony in space since many planets would not have an atmosphere and thus radiation would be a big problem. Not to mention the lack of gravity and its influence on a developing embryo or human child. And it was somewhat surprising not to see things like that addressed in an overall pretty informative book about future technology.
All in all, while this book does have some issues I recommend it for anyone who enjoys thinking about humanity’s destiny.
As aforementioned, this book is very accessible and it is one of the main strengths of the book. Kaku takes his time in explaining humanity’s future by discussing past discoveries by scientists in the field of rocketry. He does this for two major reasons. One is to show how society at times tends to mock certain ideas for how innovative they can be. For example, he points to the New York Times editorial which mocked one of the scientists, Richard Goddard, in the 1920’s. Back then, it was commonly thought that rockets could not work in space; space was a vacuum and people thought that the rocket not being able to move since it could not push against anything. Yet he shows that so long as people continue to test these ideas and find value in them, they will eventually be accepted by the society at large. The New York Times would issue a retraction after Apollo 11 moon landing, apologizing for their error.
Kaku also uses historical research to point out that the technology can be abused. He points to the use of advances of rocketry by the scientist Von Braun for the German war machine in WWII. And he does this not to try to paint the technology as bad, but how people utilize the technology. Which is a good point considering some of the ideas mentioned in this book. From the use of nuclear bombs to accelerate a rocket to the concept of utilizing gene editing and manipulation to craft better bodies to function in the atmosphere of faraway planets and solar systems, many of the ideas promoted in the book are fantastical. And not in the sense of being unrealistic. Every idea in the book Kaku supports with scientific background and explanation. They are fantastical in the sense of being so imaginative that it is hard to comprehend and for a lesser writer, to explain. Yet the way Kaku explains these concepts and ideas, the way he utilizes analogies makes it easy for a person to comprehend. But this does come with a cost.
Since Kaku’s focus is on space, at times it does feel like he does not explain far enough the consequences of these technologies. For example, gene modification would seem like it would raise ethical questions. Kaku somewhat addresses this problem with a concept he calls the “Caveman Principle,” the idea being that since human beings evolved two hundred thousand years ago, we have not changed ourselves despite our technological advantages. And even though there may be some who do modify themselves, they will only do so if it raises their stature among society. Now while there is truth to these words, I feel that it is somewhat of a sidestep of the issues, rather than fully addressing them head-on. Furthermore, it feels like some things he does miss since he goes through a lot of information. For example, he does not address reproduction or reproductive technology. And that is important for creating a colony in space since many planets would not have an atmosphere and thus radiation would be a big problem. Not to mention the lack of gravity and its influence on a developing embryo or human child. And it was somewhat surprising not to see things like that addressed in an overall pretty informative book about future technology.
All in all, while this book does have some issues I recommend it for anyone who enjoys thinking about humanity’s destiny.
ashcomb's review against another edition
4.0
modern technology for reaching to the stars and why and when should we want to do that. It speculates the possible steps needed for space travel from the scientific perspective, taking into account the social sphere of such a colossal endeavor. Michio Kaku ponders the potential social and technical problems we might face when terraforming the universe. Also, discussion about the possible outcomes which might follow from mining an asteroid or colonizing Mars or even leaving planet Earth.
This gets your thoughts going on about what our future might be, what problems we are going to face, and what kind of technologies and scientific findings will have to be made for us to go to space. The book is exciting to read fluctuating from the possible to known facts and seeing the upside and downside, but one question I didn't hear, and that is if humanity deserves to go to space? Yes, it might be a salvation for our overpopulation and other ecological problems, but should such a race habit a new planet if it hasn't even learned how to love and care the one it has?
Anyway, if you are well-read of science fiction and fact, this book might not excite you as much as it goes over the basic and doesn't bring that much new to the table. It addresses the same questions SciFi authors have asked for a long time, but to point out, with current scientific knowledge. But if you want to refresh your memory or want a coherent picture, then this is an excellent speculative fact book for both adults and teenagers.
This gets your thoughts going on about what our future might be, what problems we are going to face, and what kind of technologies and scientific findings will have to be made for us to go to space. The book is exciting to read fluctuating from the possible to known facts and seeing the upside and downside, but one question I didn't hear, and that is if humanity deserves to go to space? Yes, it might be a salvation for our overpopulation and other ecological problems, but should such a race habit a new planet if it hasn't even learned how to love and care the one it has?
Anyway, if you are well-read of science fiction and fact, this book might not excite you as much as it goes over the basic and doesn't bring that much new to the table. It addresses the same questions SciFi authors have asked for a long time, but to point out, with current scientific knowledge. But if you want to refresh your memory or want a coherent picture, then this is an excellent speculative fact book for both adults and teenagers.
s_mavin's review against another edition
4.0
The Future of Humanity is ideal for lovers of sci-fi, physics, and astronomy. This book is gripping and fascinating. I couldn’t put it down. Kaku explains complex concepts easily and sends you down a path of questions about how humanity could eventually spread through the galaxy. If you’re a fan of Star Trek and the Foundation Series like I am, you’ll enjoy how he explains concepts central to both.
A tad too speculative in places but a delight to read overall.
A tad too speculative in places but a delight to read overall.
the_kristin_amber's review against another edition
5.0
I love Kaku's approach to taking immensely complex ideas and making them approachable. I also appreciate that he is clear when he's describing something theoretical.