Michio Kaku’s exploration of the science behind science fiction is a fascinating way of getting a snapshot of where we stand in science in almost every domain. I don’t think I learned so much in a long time – especially while being entertained! I especially loved the way Kaku intertwines his scientific explanations with anecdotes from movies, literature and the life of the people behind the science.

Kaku analyzes various concepts of science fiction such as teleportation, telepathy, force fields, etc. He breaks them down in 3 categories: Class I impossibilities which we should be able to do within 100 years or so, Class II impossibilities which are scientifically feasible but beyond our reach for hundreds or thousands of years and Class III impossibilities which violate the laws of physics as we currently know them.

Surprisingly most things fall in Class I – force fields, telepathy and limited teleportation. A few concepts such as faster than light travel and time travel fall in Class II and only perpetual motion machines and precognition fall in Class III.

I am definitely going to check out Kaku’s other books.

Buy the book on Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/Physics-Impossible-Scientific-Exploration-Teleportation/dp/0385520697/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207589012&sr=8-1