The God Equation

The third book by Dr. Michio Kaku which I ordered finally arrived this afternoon, after my previous post went online. I really looked forward to this book and having a quick glance at the content, I must say it did not disappoint, as usual.

Don't be misled by the title of the book for it has nothing to do with religion. Rather, theoretical physics is the main thrust throughout as the renown physicist sought to give his take on the progress made in this field of physics to find the ultimate equation, or theory that will define or explain the existence of everything.

What exactly is theoretical physics? According to the definition in Wikipedia:

Theoretical physics is the branch of physics that deals with developing and evolving theory to explain the fundamental nature of the universe. It is possibly the most important branch of physics in that without it physics would stagnate and no new discoveries or ideas would develop.

I've wondered why Dr. Kaku chose to be a theoretical physicist, and the book at the beginning gave the answer——because Einstein was one. At his death, it was discovered in his opened notebook that he was working on an unfinished theory which he termed the "Unified Field Theory". That inspired Dr. Kaku to take up the challenge with the hope that one day, he and his fellow physicists would finish the quest of this great physicist,

As a matter of fact, Dr. Kaku firmly believes that the leading (and possibly the only) theory that could unravel the mystery of the universe is the "String Theory" of which he is a co-founder.

I can't say that I'll be able to figure out all these intricate stuff which took physicists many years to discover and formulate. At the very least, the book will enable me to have a better appreciation of their works and contributions which, in the near future, might just afford us a new understanding of our existence and the world we live in.

 

Quantum Supremacy Revisited

This book by Dr. Michio Kaku came a day after I received "The Future of the Mind". I couldn't be more delighted to have a go reading two books at one time, though it will be kind of interweaving maneuver much like the helical dance of the DNA.

A first look at "Quantum Supremacy", also a number 1 New York Times bestseller, did not disappoint. The book is broken into four parts, each seeking to address a particular aspect of the Quantum computing revolution in relation to our world and its implications for our existence.

In the first part, Dr. Kaku prepares his readers to embrace the transition from a digital computer age to that of the Quantum inevitability. In the next three sections, he postulates the great potentials and possibilities this revolution hold for mankind in the precarious and urgent situation it is currently facing, whether it's food, energy, health, diseases, mortality, and climate changes, etc.

For my generation, we may not feel the long-term consequences of our abuses and careless treatment to the earth we live in, but for the future generation, the promise of Quantum computers provide a ray of hope to circumvent an impending global catastrophe of our own making, or if not, to at least slow down or delay it for a bit longer.

 

The Future of the Mind

Just received this book by Dr. Michio Kaku a day after my birthday. How cool can that be? Glancing through the content pages and chapters of interest, in particular, chapter 5 on memories, chapter 7 on dreams, and chapter 10 on artificial mind and silicon consciousness, I began to appreciate why this book is a number 1 New York Times bestseller.

The author draws from his vast store of knowledge collected from his own research as well as interviews with many renown experts in their related fields. This is evident from the impressive list of names spanning over six pages in the acknowledgment section of the book. And the American theoretical physicist has a way of making complex and abstract topics like neuroscience not only interesting but engaging with his style of writing, you could practically read through a chapter without putting the book down.

For a sample, here's the introduction:

The two greatest mysteries in all of nature are the mind and the universe. With our vast technology, we have been able to photograph galaxies billions of light-years away, manipulate the genes that control life, and probe the inner sanctum of the atom, but the mind and the universe still elude and tantalize us. They are the most mysterious and fascinating frontiers known to science.

If you want to appreciate the majesty of the universe, just turn your gaze to the heavens at night, ablaze with billions of stars...

To witness the mystery of our mind, all we have to do is stare at ourselves in the mirror and wonder, What lurks behind our eyes? This raises haunting questions like: Do we have a soul? What happen to us after we die? Who am "I" anyway? And most important, this brings us to the ultimate question: Where do we fit into this great cosmic scheme?

He quoted the great Victorian biologist Thomas Huxley:

The question of all questions for humanity, the problem which lies behind all others and is more interesting than any of them, is that of the determination of man's place in Nature and his relation to the Cosmos.

I'm definitely going to enjoy reading this book in between my novel writing, not just to take a break but also to draw inspiration from Dr. Kaku's intriguing insights into the human brain and the mind.

 

What I Want for Christmas

It's not often that I buy Christmas gifts for myself. This year, however, as I embarked on writing a sci-fi novel, I thought it would be good to get something related to what I'm writing. After some searching and reviewing, I decided upon the following books by Michio Kaku:

1. The Future of the Mind
2. The God Equation
3. Quantum Supremacy

I will definitely find time to read through relevant parts of each book, and see if what I've written so far falls in line with Mr. Kaku's reasonings on the topics of interest. If need be, I might adopt some of his perspectives, or better yet, get his advice to give my novel some credibility in terms of the 'hard' facts presented.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to receiving them sometime in the beginning of next year.

 

Quantum Supremacy

Dr. Michio Kaku just released his latest work, Quantum Supremacy. Below is an excerpt of the book's description:

The runaway success of the microchip may finally be reaching its end. As shrinking transistors approach the size of atoms, the phenomenal growth of computational power inevitably collapses. But this change heralds the birth of a revolutionary new type of computer, one that calculates on atoms themselves.

Quantum computers promise unprecedented gains in computing power, enabling advancements that could overturn every aspect of our daily lives. There is no single problem humanity faces that might not be addressed by quantum computers. With his signature clarity and enthusiasm, Dr. Michio Kaku, who has spent his entire professional life working on the quantum theory, tells the thrilling story of this exciting scientific frontier and the race to claim humanity's future.

I'm definitely ordering this book, along with two other——The God Equation and The Future of the Mind. Together, these three books will provide the much needed information and inspiration for my upcoming novel.

 

Michio Kaku

When we talk about Quantum computing, well-informed people naturally point to Richard Feynman as the first to propose it in the 1980s. But it was Isaac Chuang of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Neil Gershenfeld of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Mark Kubinec of the University of California at Berkeley who jointly created the first 2-qubit quantum computer in 1998.

Certainly, credits have to be given to these pioneers for their visionary insights and brilliant inventions in this new sphere of computational exploration. But the one person that I admire and find intriguing would have to be Michio Kaku. Who is he? In the words of Andrew Zimmerman Jones of ThoughtCo.:

Dr. Michio Kaku is an American theoretical physicist, best known as one of the founders of string field theory. He has published several books and hosts television specials and a weekly radio program. Michio Kaku specializes in public outreach and explaining complicated physics concepts in terms people can understand and appreciate.

Now that's an interesting individual that I'd like to hear! In fact, he's also a prolific public speaker with a rather wry sense of humor, just like the quote he made about physicists (he being one himself):

Physicists are made of atoms. A physicist is an attempt by an atom to understand itself.

Update:

For those interested to understand how Quantum computing will revolutionize the future, here's a video you must watch (click on the picture):