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You can't do that
Aug. 31st, 2008 09:27 amI've always avoided books that sought to link the "science of science fiction" with actual science thinking. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it is a subconscious desire to not have my illusions broken by subjecting SF to scrutiny and having its science found wanting. However I don't think so - I have a reasonable grasp of what is and what isn't possible and even the degree of improbability. Perhaps I just don't want to be reminded and thus have suspension of disbelief made more difficult.
But I did read Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku. Why? - because Kaku is the best in the pop science business these days and so I read everything he writes. I should have followed my first instinct - I didn't really enjoy the book all that much. But it wasn't the faultof the book. Kaku has a good enough knowledge of science fiction to find good examples and then to explore in a highly readable way the possible science that might be associated with them. It really is very well done indeed and a good reflection of the state of the art.
Yet it didn't work for me - possibly for the reasons above or possibly from the air of "we know everything" that you get from the book. Even though the author is very careful to point out the difficulties with scientific crystal ball gazing and to point out past failures of prediction, you still get the feeling that he has no expectation of something coming out of left field to surprise the scientific community now. This despite the countless times that it has happened before. Even though I know that a scientist (and Kaku is an active working researcher) has to have confidence that they are following worthwhile lines of research, I still find myself thinking that the focus could have been a bit wider even while not knowing exactly how you would do that.
But I did read Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku. Why? - because Kaku is the best in the pop science business these days and so I read everything he writes. I should have followed my first instinct - I didn't really enjoy the book all that much. But it wasn't the faultof the book. Kaku has a good enough knowledge of science fiction to find good examples and then to explore in a highly readable way the possible science that might be associated with them. It really is very well done indeed and a good reflection of the state of the art.
Yet it didn't work for me - possibly for the reasons above or possibly from the air of "we know everything" that you get from the book. Even though the author is very careful to point out the difficulties with scientific crystal ball gazing and to point out past failures of prediction, you still get the feeling that he has no expectation of something coming out of left field to surprise the scientific community now. This despite the countless times that it has happened before. Even though I know that a scientist (and Kaku is an active working researcher) has to have confidence that they are following worthwhile lines of research, I still find myself thinking that the focus could have been a bit wider even while not knowing exactly how you would do that.