The Future of Humanity: Terraforming, Mars, Interstellar Travel, Immortality, and Our Destiny beyond Earth

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-- Introduction: Toward A Multiplanet Species -- Part I: Leaving The Earth -- Preparing For Liftoff -- New Golden Age Of Space Travel -- Mining The Heavens -- Mars Or Bust -- Mars: The Garden Planet -- Gas Giants, Comets, And Beyond -- Part Ii: Voyage To The Stars -- Robots In Space -- Building A Starship -- Kepler And A Universe Of Planets -- Part Iii: Life In The Universe -- Immortality -- Transhumanism And Technology -- Search For Extraterrestrial Life -- Advanced Civilizations -- Leaving The Universe. Dr. Michio Kaku, Professor Of Theoretical Physics, City University Of New York. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 309-324) And Index. The #1 bestselling author of The Future of the Mind 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. 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 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. "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"-- Provided by publisher NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The #1 bestselling author of The Future of the Mind 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. 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. Towards a multi-planet species Preparing for lift-off New golden age for space travel Mining the heavens Mars or bust Mars: the garden planet Gas giants, comets and beyond Robots in space Building a starship Kepler and a universe of planets Immortality Transhumanism Search for extra terrestrial life Advanced civilizations Leaving the universe.