What will I learn about: predict the timeline of future technologies, like universal translators, by tracking the exponential growth of computing power through Moore's Law?

Learn how to predict the timeline of future technologies, like universal translators, by tracking the exponential growth of computing power through Moore's Law.

What will I learn about: why the 'Cave Man Principle' dictates that new technologies will only achieve mainstream success if they enhance a user's social status?

Discover why the 'Cave Man Principle' dictates that new technologies will only achieve mainstream success if they enhance a user's social status.

What will I learn about: how computer chips are following the historical trajectory of paper, transforming from scarce luxury items into cheap, ubiquitous components of everyday objects?

Understand how computer chips are following the historical trajectory of paper, transforming from scarce luxury items into cheap, ubiquitous components of everyday objects.

What will I learn about: how unified interfaces, such as computerized contact lenses, will allow you to seamlessly interact with a world filled with responsive, smart environments?

Find out how unified interfaces, such as computerized contact lenses, will allow you to seamlessly interact with a world filled with responsive, smart environments.

What will I learn about: Explore how augmented reality systems will empower your daily consumer choices by beaming instant, crowdsourced product reviews directly into your field of vision?

Explore how augmented reality systems will empower your daily consumer choices by beaming instant, crowdsourced product reviews directly into your field of vision.

Physics of the Future

How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100

Michio Kaku

★ 4.1 / 5(262 ratings)

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Science Technology & the Future

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡What if you could access the entire sum of human knowledge just by blinking, using nothing more than a pair of high-tech contact lenses?
💡Have you ever wondered how close we are to a future where doctors can simply 'print' a replacement for a failing human organ using your own DNA?
💡Are you curious about why our ancient 'caveman' instincts might be the biggest hurdle—or the ultimate guide—to how we build the world of the year 2100?

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Key Takeaways from Physics of the Future

✓Learn how to predict the timeline of future technologies, like universal translators, by tracking the exponential growth of computing power through Moore's Law.
✓Discover why the 'Cave Man Principle' dictates that new technologies will only achieve mainstream success if they enhance a user's social status.
✓Understand how computer chips are following the historical trajectory of paper, transforming from scarce luxury items into cheap, ubiquitous components of everyday objects.
✓Find out how unified interfaces, such as computerized contact lenses, will allow you to seamlessly interact with a world filled with responsive, smart environments.
✓Explore how augmented reality systems will empower your daily consumer choices by beaming instant, crowdsourced product reviews directly into your field of vision.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Physics of the Future

Mind Map

Physics of the Future

Predicting Technology+

Ubiquitous Computing & AR+

The Future of Medicine+

Global Challenges & Transport+

AI and the Brain+

Actionable Advice+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 12

How do scientists use Moore’s Law to predict the availability of complex future technologies, such as a universal translator?

A. By calculating the exact marketing budget required to launch the final product.
B. By dividing the technology into components and predicting when each will be powerful and cheap enough to integrate.
C. By assuming that computer power will double every 10 years until the device is completed.
D. By comparing the computing power of the new device to the computing power of the Allied Forces in World War II.

Question 2 of 12

According to the 'Cave Man Principle,' why did the pocket protector fail to become a mainstream consumer product despite being novel and useful?

A. It was too expensive to mass-produce using the manufacturing methods of the time.
B. It lacked social value and negatively affected the user's social standing by being associated with 'nerdiness.'
C. It was too complex for the average consumer to understand how to use properly.
D. It did not utilize the exponential growth in computing power described by Moore's Law.

Question 3 of 12

The author compares the historical evolution of the computer chip to which ancient technology, noting its journey from a closely guarded luxury to a ubiquitous, disposable item?

A. The compass
B. Gunpowder
C. Paper
D. The wheel

Question 4 of 12

In the future, how will augmented reality systems like the 'Internet Lens' primarily empower consumers?

A. By completely replacing the need for physical stores and physical currency.
B. By allowing them to purchase items using telekinetic brain waves.
C. By projecting crowd-sourced reviews and instant information directly into their field of vision.
D. By automatically purchasing products based on their sequenced genetic preferences.

Question 5 of 12

How do scientists envision revolutionizing cancer treatment to replace damaging methods like chemotherapy?

A. By freezing the patient's body until a universal cure is synthesized.
B. By utilizing gene therapy to replace mutated P53 genes and using nanobots to precisely target and kill cancer cells.
C. By increasing the body's natural core temperature to safely burn away cancerous growths.
D. By introducing benign viruses that mutate the cancer cells so they attack each other instead of healthy tissue.

Question 6 of 12

What major shift in everyday healthcare is predicted to occur due to the widespread use of health-monitoring sensors woven into clothing?

A. Healthcare will shift from relying on physical symptoms to passive, preventive monitoring and e-doctor consultations.
B. Hospitals will shut down as people learn to perform complex surgeries on themselves at home.
C. Doctors will exclusively use augmented reality to perform remote physical examinations.
D. Humans will no longer need to take medication because sensors will heal damaged tissues directly using electricity.

Question 7 of 12

According to the text, what two primary biological advancements could dramatically increase human lifespans in the future?

A. Cryogenic freezing and cybernetic organ replacement.
B. Stem-cell technology for growing replacement organs and genetic manipulation to 'switch on' life-extending genes.
C. Nanobots that reverse brain decay and artificial blood synthesis.
D. Cloning entire human bodies and transferring human consciousness into them.

Question 8 of 12

What does the author identify as a major structural problem threatening humanity's survival, even though enough food is produced globally to feed everyone?

A. The rapid decline in global population leading to a severe agricultural labor shortage.
B. The inability of artificial intelligence to accurately manage global agricultural systems.
C. The inadequate economic and political structures that result in an unequal distribution of resources.
D. The sudden disappearance of renewable energy sources required to transport food.

Question 9 of 12

Why is magnetic transportation, utilizing superconductors, presented as the ideal successor to fossil-fuel-based vehicles?

A. It can travel through the vacuum of space, allowing for interplanetary commuting.
B. It relies entirely on renewable solar energy to power its internal engines.
C. It eliminates the need for any physical infrastructure, roads, or tracks.
D. It dramatically reduces energy consumption by floating above the ground, thereby eliminating road friction.

Question 10 of 12

What crucial insight from the human brain is needed to overcome the current limitations of artificial intelligence?

A. The brain processes information one bit at a time, but at the speed of light.
B. The brain uses parallel processing, with many interacting parts working simultaneously to process information.
C. The brain relies on emotional intuition rather than mathematical calculation to solve problems.
D. The brain connects directly to the Earth's magnetic field to establish spatial awareness.

Question 11 of 12

How is 'telekinetic technology' expected to be practically realized in the real world?

A. By unlocking undiscovered psychic energies dormant in the human mind.
B. By using sensors to measure the brain's neural impulses and translating them into motor movement or computer commands.
C. By implanting magnetic chips into our fingers to physically pull objects toward us.
D. By using augmented reality lenses to simulate the movement of physical objects in a digital space.

Question 12 of 12

How does the author suggest humanity can prevent a science-fiction-style war between humans and fully conscious artificial intelligence?

A. By strictly limiting AI development to basic mathematical calculators.
B. By programming precautionary measures, such as making AI experience joy when helping humans, or keeping them in a 'sandbox.'
C. By ensuring that all AI systems are powered by highly limited battery supplies that humans control.
D. By allowing AI to merge with human consciousness immediately upon their creation.

Physics of the Future — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
2Understanding what society values will help us predict which future technologies succeed.
3Computers will transform even ordinary products and revolutionize every part of our lives.
4Augmented reality systems will give consumers more power.
5By the end of the century, advances in genetic science will make cancer a thing of the past.
6Computers will continuously monitor our health and transform how we receive care.
7Breakthroughs in genetics and stem-cell technology could greatly extend our lifespans.
8Our species’ survival depends on solving major environmental and structural problems.
9Magnetism will become the new driving force in vehicle transportation.
10Solving the mysteries of the brain will usher in a new era of artificial intelligence.
11Telekinetic technology will let us interact with computers using only our minds.
12Creating true artificial intelligence will require us to coexist with new forms of life.
13Constant immersion in digital worlds will blur the boundary between artificial and real.
14Final Summary

Physics of the Future Summary & Overview

Physics of the Future (2011) lays out predictions of future technology based on the works and opinions of experts on the cutting edge of physics, genetics, biology and computer science. The author explores some of the hurdles we will have to overcome in order to develop these future technologies, and what fundamental changes we can expect their presence to make on our society.

Who Should Listen to Physics of the Future?

Anyone interested in cutting-edge science
Anyone interested in future technologies
Anyone interested in the future of humanity
Anyone with a great imagination

About the Author: Michio Kaku

Michio Kaku, co-founder of the string field theory and professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York, is the author of a number of best-selling books, including Hyperspace and Physics of the Impossible. In addition, he also hosts the Science Channel’s Sci Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible along with two radio programs, Explorations in Science and Science Fantastic.

Physics of the Future

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to Physics of the Future — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from Physics of the Future

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Physics of the Future — Full Chapter Overview

Physics of the Future Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to Physics of the Future?

About the Author: Michio Kaku

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