The Future of Humanity - by Michio Kaku (Paperback)

About the Book

"Formerly the domain of fiction, moving human civilization to the stars is increasingly becoming a scientific possibility--and a necessity. Whether in the near future due to climate change and the depletion of finite resources, or in the distant future due to catastrophic cosmological events, we must face the reality that humans will one day need to leave planet Earth to survive as a species. World-renowned physicist and futurist Michio Kaku explores in rich, intimate detail the process by which humanity may gradually move away from the planet and develop a sustainable civilization in outer space. He reveals how cutting-edge developments in robotics, nanotechnology, and biotechnology may allow us to terraform and build habitable cities on Mars. He then takes us beyond the solar system to nearby stars, which may soon be reached by nanoships traveling on laser beams at near the speed of light. Finally, he brings us beyond our galaxy, and even beyond our universe, to the possibility of immortality, showing us how humans may someday be able to leave our bodies entirely and laser port to new havens in space. With irrepressible enthusiasm and wonder, Dr. Kaku takes readers on a fascinating journey to a future in which humanity may finally fulfill its long-awaited destiny among the stars"--

Book Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The national bestselling author of The God Equation traverses the frontiers of astrophysics, artificial intelligence, and technology to offer a stunning vision of man's future in space, from settling Mars to traveling to distant galaxies.

"Amazing ... Kaku is in smooth perfect control of it the entire time." --The Christian Science Monitor

We are entering a new Golden Age of space exploration. With irrepressible enthusiasm and a deep understanding of the cutting-edge research in space travel, world-renowned physicist and futurist Dr. Michio Kaku presents a compelling vision of how humanity may develop a sustainable civilization in outer space. He reveals the developments in robotics, nanotechnology, and biotechnology that may allow us to terraform and build habitable cities on Mars and beyond. He then journeys out of our solar system and discusses how new technologies such as nanoships, laser sails, and fusion rockets may actually make interstellar travel a possibility. We travel beyond our galaxy, and even beyond our universe, as Kaku investigates some of the hottest topics in science today, including warp drive, wormholes, hyperspace, parallel universes, and the multiverse. Ultimately, he shows us how humans may someday achieve a form of immortality and be able to leave our bodies entirely, laser porting to new havens in space.

Review Quotes

"The wide popular interest in Elon Musk's recent launch of one of his own Tesla cars into space shows the extent to which space travel has again become mass entertainment as well as, perhaps, mass aspiration. It is good timing, then, for a book by the theoretical physicist Michio Kaku on the possible paths to our future as a galaxy-trotting species. . . . With admirable clarity and ease, Mr. Kaku rehearses the history of rocketry and the formation of the planets, and explains how we might colonize not only Mars but some of the rocky moons of the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn. . . . The book has an infectious, can-do enthusiasm."
--The Wall Street Journal

"Kaku is a practiced and very effective popularizer of science for a general audience; he's unfailingly interesting, with an unerring instinct for the most thought-provoking aspects of his various subjects. The sheer amount of technical scientific speculation in The Future of Humanity is amazing, and yet Kaku is in smooth, perfect control of it the entire time."
--Christian Science Monitor

"Theoretical physicist Kaku wonderfully illuminates possible ways the human race could survive on other planets."
--Publishers Weekly

"Kaku has a real gift for this kind of popular science; he is able to render complex ideas in a manner that is sophisticated while still feeling accessible. . . . At the end of the day, when you're looking through Michio Kaku's eyes, the future looks bright indeed."
--The Maine Edge

"An exhilarating look at the future. . . . Always optimistic and undaunted, Kaku delivers a fascinating . . . series of scenarios in which humans overcome current obstacles."
--Kirkus

"Kaku's writings have garnered a reputation for combining hard science with clever speculation, and his latest book continues that winning trend. A breathtaking voyage through what is almost certainly the next major period in the history of humanity."
--Booklist

"Kaku certainly dares to dream big. . . . The language is striking and captivating."
--National Space Society

About the Author

MICHIO KAKU is a professor of physics at the City University of New York, cofounder of string field theory, and the author of several widely acclaimed science books, including Hyperspace, Beyond Einstein, Physics of the Impossible, and Physics of the Future. He is the science correspondent for CBS's This Morning and host of the radio programs Science Fantastic and Explorations in Science.