Science fiction often sends humanity off planet and out into the universe. Have you ever wondered how as a species humans accomplish this? If the answer is yes, then physicist Michio Kaku has written the book for you. The Future of Humanity surveys various fields of science to show the many steps needed to become a space faring civilization. From robotics to biological engineering to posthumanity to the physics of string theory, Dr. Kaku builds the road from Earth to leaving the universe. This is a book of hope and vision. One that is especially needed as science continues to come under attack in America.

TL;DR: By the end of Chapter 5, I was optimistic about humanity’s chances to make it to mars. Highly Recommended.

From the publisher:

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.

As a child, I dreamed of flying through the universe like my favorite science fiction stories, but growing up and learning what that really takes, I lost hope that humans would ever leave the planet. Space travel is expensive and dangerous to humans. Without the Soviet Union to race against, the U.S. lost interest in expanding its space presence. Add to that the revolution in personal computing, and space wasn’t as interesting. The Future of Humanity shows that even with our current understanding of science, leaving the planet is an attainable goal.

No prior knowledge of physics is necessary to enjoy this book. Dr. Kaku surveys a number of interesting topics that he believes may allow us to become citizens of the universe. With a style that’s easy to read, Dr. Kaku takes complex subjects and makes them understandable. I was never in over my head or bored by any section. Often, I had to pause my reading to think more about what possibilities The Future of Humanity opened up for fiction. I’d recommend this book to anyone who reads at a high school or high level; no background in science is required.

I really liked the structure of this book. It effortlessly bridges the gap between today and the far future by starting with a cosmologically small step. Dr. Kaku’s first trip is to the moon, and he uses this goal to explain about our short history into rocket science. Each chapter takes a farther step away from Earth and the present. Next is Mars and the near future of colonizing the red planet. Then we’re off into the solar system, galaxy, universe, and, finally, multi-verse. At the same time, we move from the near to the distant future to when galaxies are moving away from each other at the speed of light to the death of the universe. This approach eases the reader into the more speculative parts of the book and conveys the truly epic distances and time frames involved.

Throughout, Dr. Kaku references classic science fiction, and it’s clear to see that his love of the genre has influenced how he looks at the universe. I imagine this love helped him develop the easy style of explaining complex and very speculative guesses in believable and understandable prose. Far future science fiction has always had the problem of trying to guess at technological advances that we don’t even suspect yet and then science proving those guesses wrong. But Dr. Kaku’s grounding in our current understanding of physics makes his guesses very good ones. Since our current understanding is imperfect, there is a lot we don’t know or are incapable of learning without significant advances. Dr. Kaku clearly labels this, which is another strength of the book. He shows where our current understanding is lacking, and his optimism shows through by the belief that at some point we will solve the problems. Where science fiction says this is how it’s gonna be, Dr. Kaku says this is how it might be. A small but important distinction for a non-fiction book.

The book skims the surface of many topics. While there is a list of further reading included, I’d like some of the topics to be explored with more depth. Surveys whet the appetite and leave us hungry for more. With all the questions asked, the ethical question of whether we should leave the planet was never considered. If humans trash the one planet that we live on, is it ethical to treat other planets similarly? Enormous amounts of resources are needed for these futures to exist. Will we evolve past our current disregard of our home? I don’t see how that happens considering all the signs of climate change are somehow still ignored. Dr. Kaku is more of an optimist than I am. That’s for sure.

Ideally, this book would end up in the hands of parents, voters, and Congress. The Future of Humanity shows the power of our creativity and the potential of the human mind. It is a challenge issued to all homo sapiens that we are better than our current state, and if we can unite in purpose, we can make our species into the science fiction heroes that inspire us. It is not just a challenge in physics, though. Biology, chemistry, medical and material sciences, engineering and more are required to move off world. The Future of Humanity reawakened my hope that our species will survive past Earth. This book shows the steps between now and a galaxy spanning civilization. It will excite any reader to the possibilities that science has in store. The Future of Humanity is more a sales pitch than physics book, and it sold me on our future.

The book is available from Penguin Random House publishing on February 20, 2018.