Expert: Despite Japanese Gov’t Claims of Decreasing Radiation, Fukushima a "Ticking Time Bomb"
13 April 2011

DR. MICHIO KAKU: Well, Tokyo Electric has been in denial, trying to downplay the full impact of this nuclear accident. However, there’s a formula, a mathematical formula, by which you can determine what level this accident is. This accident has already released something on the order of 50,000 trillion becquerels of radiation. You do the math. That puts it right smack in the middle of a level 7 nuclear accident. Still, less than Chernobyl. However, radiation is continuing to leak out of the reactors. The situation is not stable at all. So, you’re looking at basically a ticking time bomb. It appears stable, but the slightest disturbance—a secondary earthquake, a pipe break, evacuation of the crew at Fukushima—could set off a full-scale meltdown at three nuclear power stations, far beyond what we saw at Chernobyl.

...

So, when the utility says that things are stable, it’s only stable in the sense that you’re dangling from a cliff hanging by your fingernails. And as the time goes by, each fingernail starts to crack. That’s the situation now.

The difference is actually a bit more, the traditional view is 2%, but I've heard Craig Venter say its probably a bit more than that, maybe as much as 5%. But anyway, like other commenters have suggested, this is a bit psuedo-biologistic by Tyson. He still has a point, but I think hes best when he sticks to astronomoy and astrophysics. Difference in genetic makeup is not the same thing as difference in phenotype. For example, only relatively few genes control the development of the entire brain, but even if we identify them all and understand them all, we are still far from understanding the brain itself, because the brain is more than just a product of genes, its a product of development and lots of complex interactions.

But his point does pretty much stand, we could all look like blabbering morons to more intelligent creatures. Atleast Tyson is not anyware near as idiotic as Michio Kaku on evolution, that was just embarrassing

Semi related, but I can't submit videos from the Big Think yet, Dr. Michio Kaku talks about Which Came First, the Galaxy or the Black Hole?

Upvote for the good background music and michio kaku, as for the things being said: new age bullsh## (my humble opinion)

The legendary Michio Kaku discuses how Graphene Will Change The Way We Live talking of its strength and conductive properties in ways they don't talk about in the video. Great intro article if you want to learn more about the material.

She sounds very close to the Family Guy reporter, though not quite as nasaly hehe.

And Michio Kaku is the man. I love watching and reading his stuff.

Still works for me.

>> ^radx:

Was the video killed already?

That was always the biggest question I had when I heard about this "cylinder" of light bending around an object. Yes, if you bent light around you, so that it recombined on the other side, you would in effect be totally blind because no light was reaching your eyes.

Michio Kaku described this as a problem in a video I saw here on the Sift a while back, and he said so far you'd basically have to cut two eye holes in the cylinder, but then there would just be two eyes floating around the room.

Tags for this video have been changed from 'NASA, photos, image, Ice, Geysers, On, Saturn, Moon' to 'NASA, photos, image, Ice, Geysers, On, Saturn, Moon, michio kaku, cassini, enceladus' - edited by therealblankman

Nothing he says is new information. He is simply repeating things that Ray Kurzweil and Michio Kaku have been saying for many years. Both of their theories and futurist outlooks are supported by a lot of science.

Go read The Singularity is Near - Ray Kurzweil

We aren't going to be 'the borg' we will actually be far more advanced. Our nonbiological humanity will have the option to look completely human if we wish using nanotechnology. We will be more like T1000s from the Terminator. Anyone will be able to look like anything.

For anyone who's interested Michio Kaku hosts a great science program thru Pacifica in New York called Explorations... http://wbai.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=395&Itemid=141

>> ^phelixian:
Like the guy. Liked his answer. Don't think it was mind blowing. Would rather have heard him talk about real science topics like quantum entanglement or something.


I don't think quantum physics is his specialty. Also you don't have to go very deep into quantum physics to step from established facts to pure speculation. It can be interesting but also very misleading to the general public. (Why I personally don't like the way Michio Kaku usually explains stuff on TV...)

Anyway, Neil's pretty good at speaking relevant (and funny) sentences without much of a pause. It often feels almost like a prepared speech.

>> ^yourhydra:
this is exactly why I am a futurist and I stand behind Kurtzweil and Michio Kaku 99% of the time, things that seem impossible are really not, and are simply just too incredible to comprehend for most people.



At least Kurzweil bases his predictions on scientific modeling. Most other people just predict what "feels" reasonable.

His predictions on what will be technologically possible at future dates are very good, but I don't put as much stock into his predictions of what will be "popular". It will be neat to see how much social resistance there is once things really start taking off (ie- once biotech matures to the point where we can really start improving intellectual functioning consistently).

Either way, I'm looking forward to seeing how his movie turns out later this year.

http://singularity.com/themovie/

this is exactly why I am a futurist and I stand behind Kurtzweil and Michio Kaku 99% of the time, things that seem impossible are really not, and are simply just too incredible to comprehend for most people.

A Hwhite hole tastes better with cool hwhip..

In all seriousness though, I believe Dr. Michio Kaku will one day discover a real breakthrough in quantum physics.. I mean, he's been contemplating parallel universes since the age of 8! And he's also fun to listen to. All those analogies he used were hilarious.