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snowcrash's review against another edition
3.0
I really like Michio Kaku. He is a wonderful story teller and can make physics a lot of fun to learn. He's the science geek kid who decided to build a particle accelerator in his garage. I really liked _Physics of the Future_ and _Physics of the Impossible_. So when I saw this book on the library shelf, I grabbed it.
The first third of the book talks about where we are today in terms of the science and engineering that can take us to other planets. Then second third is about what may be possible by the end of this century. The last third is what could be possible in thousands of years. All of this is focused on making us a multi-planet species.
For me, as someone who is an amateur science guy, I wanted more from the book. I already knew most of the details presented in the book. Some of the ideas in the second section fleshed out what I knew, but this is more of a primer for those that don't continually read science as part of their literary diet. I wanted more detail about how the missions to Mars would actually work. There is a lot of gaps in what we know and how to deal with them on such a long mission. Here some ideas are presented, but only a page or two.
If you are curious about how we can get to the stars and don't have a clue, this is your book. It is a superb introduction into the real science of today and that of tomorrow that will unbound us from this world. The author makes it easy to approach and fun to learn.
The first third of the book talks about where we are today in terms of the science and engineering that can take us to other planets. Then second third is about what may be possible by the end of this century. The last third is what could be possible in thousands of years. All of this is focused on making us a multi-planet species.
For me, as someone who is an amateur science guy, I wanted more from the book. I already knew most of the details presented in the book. Some of the ideas in the second section fleshed out what I knew, but this is more of a primer for those that don't continually read science as part of their literary diet. I wanted more detail about how the missions to Mars would actually work. There is a lot of gaps in what we know and how to deal with them on such a long mission. Here some ideas are presented, but only a page or two.
If you are curious about how we can get to the stars and don't have a clue, this is your book. It is a superb introduction into the real science of today and that of tomorrow that will unbound us from this world. The author makes it easy to approach and fun to learn.
ayami's review against another edition
4.0
Michio Kaku talks about a lot of interesting concepts regarding technology, space exploration and science. It wasn’t a mind-blowing read, though, as the majority of what he talks about has been mentioned in plenty of other non-fiction books out there. However, I won’t penalize the book for introducing themes I happened to be already familiar with. Some physics stuff I found hard to follow but this could be due to the fact, I was listening to it as an audiobook. Some reviewers complained about the onslaught of the pop culture references but I enjoyed them and think they were pretty well incorporated into the text. This could be because I have seen the majority of the movies mentioned, though.
primmlife's review against another edition
4.0
Science fiction often sends humanity off planet and out into the universe. Have you ever wondered how as a species humans accomplish this? If the answer is yes, then physicist Michio Kaku has written the book for you. The Future of Humanity surveys various fields of science to show the many steps needed to become a space faring civilization. From robotics to biological engineering to posthumanity to the physics of string theory, Dr. Kaku builds the road from Earth to leaving the universe. This is a book of hope and vision. One that is especially needed as science continues to come under attack in America.
TL;DR: By the end of Chapter 5, I was optimistic about humanity’s chances to make it to mars. Highly Recommended.
As a child, I dreamed of flying through the universe like my favorite science fiction stories, but growing up and learning what that really takes, I lost hope that humans would ever leave the planet. Space travel is expensive and dangerous to humans. Without the Soviet Union to race against, the U.S. lost interest in expanding its space presence. Add to that the revolution in personal computing, and space wasn’t as interesting. The Future of Humanity shows that even with our current understanding of science, leaving the planet is an attainable goal.
No prior knowledge of physics is necessary to enjoy this book. Dr. Kaku surveys a number of interesting topics that he believes may allow us to become citizens of the universe. With a style that’s easy to read, Dr. Kaku takes complex subjects and makes them understandable. I was never in over my head or bored by any section. Often, I had to pause my reading to think more about what possibilities The Future of Humanity opened up for fiction. I’d recommend this book to anyone who reads at a high school or higher level; no background in science is required.
I really liked the structure of this book. It effortlessly bridges the gap between today and the far future by starting with a cosmologically small step. Dr. Kaku’s first trip is to the moon, and he uses this goal to explain about our short history into rocket science. Each chapter takes a farther step away from Earth and the present. Next is Mars and the near future of colonizing the red planet. Then we’re off into the solar system, galaxy, universe, and, finally, multi-verse. At the same time, we move from the near to the distant future to when galaxies are moving away from each other at the speed of light to the death of the universe. This approach eases the reader into the more speculative parts of the book and conveys the truly epic distances and time frames involved.
Throughout, Dr. Kaku references classic science fiction, and it’s clear to see that his love of the genre has influenced how he looks at the universe. I imagine this love helped him develop the easy style of explaining complex and very speculative guesses in believable and understandable prose. Far future science fiction has always had the problem of trying to guess at technological advances that we don’t even suspect yet and then science proving those guesses wrong. But Dr. Kaku’s grounding in our current understanding of physics makes his guesses very good ones. Since our current understanding is imperfect, there is a lot we don’t know or are incapable of learning without significant advances. Dr. Kaku clearly labels this, which is another strength of the book. He shows where our current understanding is lacking, and his optimism shows through by the belief that at some point we will solve the problems. Where science fiction says this is how it’s gonna be, Dr. Kaku says this is how it might be. A small but important distinction for a non-fiction book.
The book skims the surface of many topics. While there is a list of further reading included, I’d like some of the topics to be explored with more depth. Surveys whet the appetite and leave us hungry for more. With all the questions asked, the ethical question of whether we should leave the planet was never considered. If humans trash the one planet that we live on, is it ethical to treat other planets similarly? Enormous amounts of resources are needed for these futures to exist. Will we evolve past our current disregard of our home? I don’t see how that happens considering all the signs of climate change are somehow still ignored. Dr. Kaku is more of an optimist than I am. That’s for sure.
Ideally, this book would end up in the hands of parents, voters, and Congress. The Future of Humanity shows the power of our creativity and the potential of the human mind. It is a challenge issued to all homo sapiens that we are better than our current state, and if we can unite in purpose, we can make our species into the science fiction heroes that inspire us. It is not just a challenge in physics, though. Biology, chemistry, medical and material sciences, engineering and more are required to move off world. The Future of Humanity reawakened my hope that our species will survive past Earth. This book shows the steps between now and a galaxy spanning civilization. It will excite any reader to the possibilities that science has in store. The Future of Humanity is more a sales pitch than physics book, and it sold me on our future.
The book is available from Penguin Random House publishing on February 20, 2018.
TL;DR: By the end of Chapter 5, I was optimistic about humanity’s chances to make it to mars. Highly Recommended.
As a child, I dreamed of flying through the universe like my favorite science fiction stories, but growing up and learning what that really takes, I lost hope that humans would ever leave the planet. Space travel is expensive and dangerous to humans. Without the Soviet Union to race against, the U.S. lost interest in expanding its space presence. Add to that the revolution in personal computing, and space wasn’t as interesting. The Future of Humanity shows that even with our current understanding of science, leaving the planet is an attainable goal.
No prior knowledge of physics is necessary to enjoy this book. Dr. Kaku surveys a number of interesting topics that he believes may allow us to become citizens of the universe. With a style that’s easy to read, Dr. Kaku takes complex subjects and makes them understandable. I was never in over my head or bored by any section. Often, I had to pause my reading to think more about what possibilities The Future of Humanity opened up for fiction. I’d recommend this book to anyone who reads at a high school or higher level; no background in science is required.
I really liked the structure of this book. It effortlessly bridges the gap between today and the far future by starting with a cosmologically small step. Dr. Kaku’s first trip is to the moon, and he uses this goal to explain about our short history into rocket science. Each chapter takes a farther step away from Earth and the present. Next is Mars and the near future of colonizing the red planet. Then we’re off into the solar system, galaxy, universe, and, finally, multi-verse. At the same time, we move from the near to the distant future to when galaxies are moving away from each other at the speed of light to the death of the universe. This approach eases the reader into the more speculative parts of the book and conveys the truly epic distances and time frames involved.
Throughout, Dr. Kaku references classic science fiction, and it’s clear to see that his love of the genre has influenced how he looks at the universe. I imagine this love helped him develop the easy style of explaining complex and very speculative guesses in believable and understandable prose. Far future science fiction has always had the problem of trying to guess at technological advances that we don’t even suspect yet and then science proving those guesses wrong. But Dr. Kaku’s grounding in our current understanding of physics makes his guesses very good ones. Since our current understanding is imperfect, there is a lot we don’t know or are incapable of learning without significant advances. Dr. Kaku clearly labels this, which is another strength of the book. He shows where our current understanding is lacking, and his optimism shows through by the belief that at some point we will solve the problems. Where science fiction says this is how it’s gonna be, Dr. Kaku says this is how it might be. A small but important distinction for a non-fiction book.
The book skims the surface of many topics. While there is a list of further reading included, I’d like some of the topics to be explored with more depth. Surveys whet the appetite and leave us hungry for more. With all the questions asked, the ethical question of whether we should leave the planet was never considered. If humans trash the one planet that we live on, is it ethical to treat other planets similarly? Enormous amounts of resources are needed for these futures to exist. Will we evolve past our current disregard of our home? I don’t see how that happens considering all the signs of climate change are somehow still ignored. Dr. Kaku is more of an optimist than I am. That’s for sure.
Ideally, this book would end up in the hands of parents, voters, and Congress. The Future of Humanity shows the power of our creativity and the potential of the human mind. It is a challenge issued to all homo sapiens that we are better than our current state, and if we can unite in purpose, we can make our species into the science fiction heroes that inspire us. It is not just a challenge in physics, though. Biology, chemistry, medical and material sciences, engineering and more are required to move off world. The Future of Humanity reawakened my hope that our species will survive past Earth. This book shows the steps between now and a galaxy spanning civilization. It will excite any reader to the possibilities that science has in store. The Future of Humanity is more a sales pitch than physics book, and it sold me on our future.
The book is available from Penguin Random House publishing on February 20, 2018.
allen's review against another edition
4.0
Some interesting ideas presented here. Kaku also inspired a couple new short stories, so I'd say this was a win!
tdrapeau's review against another edition
5.0
Highly entertaining walk through the variety of considerations as humanity grapples with its mortality, becoming a multiplanet species by finding and terraforming hospitable planets, and the potential decisions we would have to make about augmenting (or departing from) our own bodies to enable us to survive the long journey to a new world.
I am not a physicist, but Dr. Kaku speaks in an accessible voice and the book did not disappoint. You should read it!
I am not a physicist, but Dr. Kaku speaks in an accessible voice and the book did not disappoint. You should read it!
muthuraj's review against another edition
4.0
This was an interesting read. While it starts out a hit organized, it tends to become overly broad at the end. However, the technologies it predicts will be the future of humanity are plausible and get a fair introduction in this book.
chase's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent read; I suppose speculative non-fiction would be the most appropriate descriptor. Very captivating and written such that a non-astrophysicist comprehend with little trouble. It's also very interesting reading parallel to [b:Too Like the Lightning|26114545|Too Like the Lightning (Terra Ignota, #1)|Ada Palmer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1443106959s/26114545.jpg|46061374] which takes place in the 25th century. The further reading suggestions at the end are useful as well. Think this would be an interesting text for a high school astronomy elective or some such.
wacosinker's review against another edition
5.0
Three observations about a book I enjoyed and would recommend for a read soon, because it will be dated pretty soon. (So get it from a library, instead of buying it.)
1) I remember buying one of Stephen Wienberg's books once because the dust jacket blurb said it was a layperson's ideal guide to cutting edge cosmology. It was anything but, at least for me. Michio Kaku writes about cutting edge science as if he's speaking to you in a bar. It's conversational. Like many other reviewers I really appreciated that quality. I also found myself getting online to check out some things he references, like the Human Connectome Project.
2) The other thing I would say is that Kaku isn't an in-the-tank Pollyanna about the inevitability of a bright and shiny techno-future. That's the dominant narrative arc, but he flags the difficulties along the way, impinging climate change for one, the easy proliferation through economic democratization of technologies of mass destruction for another. This is too his credit, and in contrast to other futurists who are whistling past the graveyard in their popular writings.
3) My own musings: Kaku explains how in under two centuries human beings will be an interstellar species traveling about the entire galaxy at near light speeds or faster. Is that so? We live in an interesting age. In 2018, with climate change accelerating, the human species is accelerating the techniques necessary to become a Type I star-faring civilization while simultaneously struggling to cope with the externalized consequences of our energy superabundance. After such a splendid meal, are we going to be able to escape the establishment before the bill comes due?
1) I remember buying one of Stephen Wienberg's books once because the dust jacket blurb said it was a layperson's ideal guide to cutting edge cosmology. It was anything but, at least for me. Michio Kaku writes about cutting edge science as if he's speaking to you in a bar. It's conversational. Like many other reviewers I really appreciated that quality. I also found myself getting online to check out some things he references, like the Human Connectome Project.
2) The other thing I would say is that Kaku isn't an in-the-tank Pollyanna about the inevitability of a bright and shiny techno-future. That's the dominant narrative arc, but he flags the difficulties along the way, impinging climate change for one, the easy proliferation through economic democratization of technologies of mass destruction for another. This is too his credit, and in contrast to other futurists who are whistling past the graveyard in their popular writings.
3) My own musings: Kaku explains how in under two centuries human beings will be an interstellar species traveling about the entire galaxy at near light speeds or faster. Is that so? We live in an interesting age. In 2018, with climate change accelerating, the human species is accelerating the techniques necessary to become a Type I star-faring civilization while simultaneously struggling to cope with the externalized consequences of our energy superabundance. After such a splendid meal, are we going to be able to escape the establishment before the bill comes due?
sorryiambooked's review against another edition
3.0
I didn’t actually end up listening the whole audiobook. I can see why most would enjoy reading this book. However, it was just a little too dense for me and some chapters were not interesting to me. So not finishing is mostly on me as a reader.
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