Michio Kaku’s latest book is titled “Physics Of The Future”1. It is a collection of future advancements in science, through the year 2100. He has interviewed about 300 scientists who were in the process of improving today’s technology in many areas of science. Either these scientists are making prototypes that would be enhanced through time to gain their optimum results, or they perceive what would be the outcome of their present endeavor 20, 50, or 90 years hence. The book is divided into nine chapters, each chapter discussing short, medium and long term advancements in the areas of future of computer, artificial intelligence, medicine, nanotechnology, energy, space travel, wealth, humanity, and in the final chapter, he discusses a day in life in the year 2100. The book is very important to read by those who have any interest in science. These writings are not for the purpose of a book review, to discuss various aspects of the book, but to quote a section from the introduction part of the book, which explains the mission of science in a new and interesting way. The first two paragraphs are directly copied from the last part of the section titled “Understanding The Laws Of Nature” and the rest is almost first half of a section titled “2100: Becoming The Gods Of Mythology”2:
...For countless eons we were passive observers of the dance of nature. We only gazed in wonder and fear at comets, lightning bolts, volcanic eruptions, and plagues, assuming that they were beyond our comprehension. To the ancients, the forces of nature were an eternal mystery to be feared and worshipped, so they created the gods of mythology to make sense of the world around them. The ancients hoped that by praying to these gods they would show mercy and grant them their dearest wishes.
Today, we have become choreographers of the dance of nature, able to tweak the laws of nature here and there. But by 2100, we will make the transition to being masters of nature.
2100: Becoming the Gods of Mythology
Today, if we could somehow visit our ancient ancestors and show them the bounty of modern science and technology, we would be viewed as magicians. With the wizardry of science, we could show them jet planes that can soar in the clouds, rockets that can explore the moon and planets, MRI scanners that can peer inside the living body, and cell phones that can put us in touch with anyone on the planet. If we showed them laptop computers that can send moving images and messages instantly across the continent, they would view this as sorcery.
But this is just the beginning. Science is not static. Science is exploding exponentially all around us. If you count the number of scientific articles being published, you will find that the sheer volume of science doubles every decade or so. Innovation and discovery are changing the entire economic, political, and social landscape, overturning all the old cherished beliefs and prejudices.
Now dare to imagine the world in the year 2100.
By 2100, our destiny is to become like the gods we once worshipped and feared. But, our tools will not be magic wands and potions but the science of computers, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and most of all, the quantum theory, which is the foundation of the previous technologies.
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2. Pages 10 and 11 of the hard copy
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