Michio Kaku: The Universe in a Nutshell (Full Presentation) | Big Think
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Published 2012-08-15
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OVERVIEW:
In a profoundly informative and deeply optimistic discussion, Professor Michio Kaku delivers a glimpse of where science will take us in the next hundred years, as warp drives, teleportation, inter-dimensional wormholes, and even time travel converge with our scientific understanding of physical reality. While firing up our imaginations about the future, he also presents a succinct history of physics to the present.
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MICHIO KAKU:
Dr. Michio Kaku is the co-founder of string field theory, and is one of the most widely recognized scientists in the world today. He has written 4 New York Times Best Sellers, is the science correspondent for CBS This Morning and has hosted numerous science specials for BBC-TV, the Discovery/Science Channel. His radio show broadcasts to 100 radio stations every week. Dr. Kaku holds the Henry Semat Chair and Professorship in theoretical physics at the City College of New York (CUNY), where he has taught for over 25 years. He has also been a visiting professor at the Institute for Advanced Study as well as New York University (NYU).
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TRANSCRIPT:
My name is Professor Michio Kaku. I’m a professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York and I specialize in something called string theory. I’m a physicist.
Some people ask me the question, “What has physics done for me lately? I mean, do I get better color television, do I get better internet reception with physics?” And the answer is yes. You see, physics is at the very foundation of matter and energy. We physicists invented the laser beam, we invented the transistor. We helped to create the first computer. We helped to construct the internet. We wrote the World Wide Web. In addition, we also helped to invent television, radio, radar, microwaves, not to mention MRI scans, PET scans, x-rays. In other words, almost everything you see in your living room, almost everything you see in a modern hospital, at some point or other, can be traced to a physicist.
Now, I got interested in physics when I was a child. When I was a child of eight, something happened to me that changed my life and I wanted to be part of this grand search for a theory of everything. When I was eight, a great scientist had just died. I still remember my elementary school teacher coming into the...
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All Comments (21)
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I have been a fan of Dr. Kaku for decades. His knack for breaking down complex subjects into easily understandable terms, combined with a refreshing sense of humor, makes Dr. Kaku a natural teacher and a pleasure to listen to.
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are you joking me this is the first time i'm studying physics without getting bored man this guy is a legend huge respect
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Whose watching this in 2024.?
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Bro, I had no idea Isaac Newton was the absolute GOAT of humanity, what an incredible man
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Shoutout to his mom for having been so supportive even though she didn't fully, if not at all, understand what her son was doing back then!
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Watching this really makes you cherish this life that you got
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0:44: 🔬 Physics is the foundation of technology and has led to numerous inventions and advancements. 4:58: ✨ The history of physics and the discoveries of Isaac Newton 10:43: ✨ Isaac Newton's discovery of the laws of motion and gravity revolutionized science and led to the Industrial Revolution. 15:42: 🧲 The laws of motion and electromagnetism explain how buildings don't fall and how electricity works. 20:19: 🌍 The speaker discusses the impact of electromagnetic and nuclear forces on our lives, including the development of internet and potential future technologies. 25:15: 🔬 The speaker discusses the creation of particles through atom smashing and the use of particle accelerators. 29:38: 🔬 The speaker discusses the Standard Model of particle physics, the Higgs boson, and the theory of strings. 34:47: 🌌 Theoretical physicist explains the possibilities of traversing a wormhole, the existence of a fifth force, and the dominance of dark energy and dark matter in the universe. 40:01: 💡 The majority of the universe is composed of dark matter and dark energy, and understanding the fundamental reasons behind theories is the key focus of theoretical physicists. Recap by T
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His passion for physics and curiosity about the universe shine through in every sentence. You can tell he finds profound wonder and beauty in the mysteries of science. His enthusiasm is infectious and makes the subject come alive.
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I dropped out of physics cause my teacher couldn't explain things well. But Dr. Kaku has made me wanna start again. Breathtaking video!
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I have watched this so many times. I don't know exactly why, but every time I watch it again, I feel deeply inspired and motivated to keep up studying hard.
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He articulates well. He’s able to captivate a non-physics audience like me. I don’t feel tired, and there’s never a dull moment, listening to this man. He speaks without taking a moment to think. Amazing!
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Professor Kaku has the special abilities to inform, educate, entertain, and to intrigue... one of the few Masters that can explain with enthusiasm his vast knowledge to a common person.
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Kaku gave a lecture at my university some time ago. It was so inspiring.
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This dude makes it look easy! Respect!
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This is teaching at the peak level. Teaching the whys of things and giving the students motivation and fascination about the topic first before diving into the details, and studious part of the subject is something that most teachers miss on.
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I love the way Dr. Kaku explains everything! He makes it so compelling and breaks it down to the point that simple people like me can understand.
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This totally counts as studying for my physics final right?
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And here we award the best YouTube recommend and also the best "i cant believe i just watch this for free" video
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I'm commenting this only for the record – I watched this video when it initially came out as a junior high schooler, and now I'm doing my PhD in Physics. Time flies, indeed! This video played a big part of my life choices and career decision in academia so far. I know a lot of people in academia (in physics) like to criticize Dr. Kaku, but I just can't bring myself to it, despite fully seeing their points, since he is literally my childhood hero! Also, thanks to @Big Think for producing the "In a Nutshell" series. This has been truly a gem!
