One of the most speculative, boring, wishy-washy people in the physics/futurist/lecturer scene. His books are exceptionally bland and over-simplified.

There is so much better and exciting physics happening right now than the utter drivel that drips from this guy's head.

There's always been a demand for prophets. I'd rather Kaku fulfil that demand than someone not versed in modern physics.

*long

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Agreed fissionchips, honestly I've been to his lectures at CUNY and they are phenomenal. He may sound shallow but he's able to communicate advanced concepts to students on a level I have not seen yet by any professor.

I find him rather annouying, honestly. He speaks about the beginning formations of a type 1 civilization, when all it is the cultural effect of the American Empire. I bet there were people like him running the Roman Empire talking about how Latin is the World Language.

Hah, He then labels anyone who disagrees with him as Terrorists. PLEASE!

Also he quickly and effortlessly skims over the serious humanitarian problems of the EU, NAFTA, and other like globalization programs. Not to mention that the american economy is tanking and will probably take most of the world with it.

This guy has got his head soo far in the clouds that he doesn't see the details of the world going on below him. He's giving false hope to alot of blind people in rich countries.

When it comes to talking about the future, I'm just gunna stick with George Carlin. "The planet is fine; the people are fucked."

this guy is a dreamer.

this guy knows his stuff, we don't.
he's a theorist, obviously, so he can give 'broad' scenarios. don't think he's actually saying that's the way things will 'definitely' unfold. he explains quickly and concisely some very exciting concepts - be grateful that he even bothers to explain them in layman terms....

@Johnald_Chaffinch Well I'm glad he got off his high horse to esplain to us stoopid peoples what the future will look like.

Honestly man, scientists have guessing what the future will look like for a long time now, and they're usually wrong. I mean, where's my jetpack?

I'd suggest most of them are wrong because they exactly are Physicists or other hard scientists. They arent Socialogists or Cultural Anthropologists! They lose complete sight on the human part of things. I doubt he'd understand what a lowly person sitting in a sweatshop in Malasia making cheap goods thinks of his type 1 civilization. Or even a person trying survive in the war-torn hellhole that has become Somalia. Most of these problems are the result of his glorious globalization.

Just becuase we have the luxury to live in rich countries doesnt mean we can assume that our vision of the future world is one that is shared by the billions of other people who share this planet.

yeah yur probly right. i am drunk you know...

I think the key problem with his vision about Level 0,1,2 etc. is that there is not way in hell that a level 0 can imagine what level 2 or level 3 etc can do. That will be like saying that a cave man could imagine what level 1 civilization could do or be interested on, except this is a bit worse as its growth is exponential not only in depth by also in breath.

ok, I can also make things up

^ Then why haven't you?

and your credentials are...???

Maybe I was just expecting something, that is harder to understand... I didn't want to sound rude

keep in mind that he's one of the best physicists, ever.
einstein knew some crazy stuff, top secret stuff. you never know, this guy, as crazy as it might sound, may have access to information that we don't even know exists.
i think by a process of deduction these theories will be the closest you can get when talking about such things. they might sound like they're just off the top of his head but they'll have been thought about in great detail, debated and questioned by many for them to come to these conclusions.

Not to sound too fat headed here but he said nothing that I didn't came up by my self years ago except I was wrong as so is he. The key problem is that we miss the complexity of evolution at exponential growth scales.

His biggest mistake and mine was to think we can guess what is going to happen in 200 or more years. People need to realize that StartTrek is an old guess on how the future will be.

The key difference this time is that for the first time in human history our brains will be surpass by a vastly superior evolutionary process which is due to catch up with us by (2040). This event is call the singularity and it is THE KEY event of human evolution for the next few thousand years and why we can't predict much more farther going forward from this event.

With exponential growth we are like ants trying to make sense of differential equations. There is so so much we can say before we are just too dumb to think farther. Level 3, 2, or even 1 are well beyond our current understanding.

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag.(show it anyway)

^ Couldn't agree more, well put.

Man everyone took this so damn personally. I mean christ he is a Wily Coyote sharing some of his super genius thoughts, ideas, theories, what every you want to call him and people freak out like he is promoting another Aryan race. I mean is it any surprise that scientists are a little strange when it comes to social norms? They all are, i dont know why him having some fun posing some "What If" scenarios gets everyones panties in a bunch. Does he make you feel inferior, is it insecurities in some way? Because i thought his excitement on the matter was very humbling and what if explaining in a "simple" way is not for us simpletons but the way HE likes to think about it. So stop acting like he is in some way talking down to you, are you afraid of every discussion about things beyond your comprehension, because honestly there isnt much that a single person could talk about if it was limited to only things they had complete understanding of. Also chill out on the globalism thing, I know you Ron Paul fans despise it with every fiber of your being but he never said that we should do it because its the right thing to do and how perfect it would be. He actually said how people are drawn to the concept and how it would be the hardest transition ever. Not right, not wrong, just trying to understand. Try to have more fun with it people.

^ Couldn't agree more, well put.