Visions of the Future: The Quantum Revolution

There seems to be a natural progression from complete bewilderment to understanding to the need to manipulate and find practical applications for the scientific discoveries we make. Sometimes there is also the stage of speculation whereby we take our current knowledge of physical laws and imagine the possibilities open to us by such discoveries. Sometimes what we get out of that is science fiction, sometimes real science. Of course, it doesn’t follow logically that something is practically attainable merely from the fact that it’s physically possible, and there’s the rub.

In the following episode of the documentary series Visions of the Future, theoretical physicist and futurist Michio Kaku explores some of the most recent feats to come out of the study and manipulation of atoms and the quantum world (superconductivity, nanotechnology, teleportation, invisibility, quantum entanglement, nuclear fusion, etc.) and meditates on what the future of humanity might look like when and if these discoveries are applied in mass scale and at the macro level.

Is Kaku merely blithely optimistic or is he a true visionary? I don't really know... I have my own suspicions about this, but I’ll let you decide for yourself.

If you are interested in the philosophical implications of teleportation on the question of personal identity, you should check out the excellent documentary series Brainspotting, with Ken Campbell.

And if you are interested in understanding superconductivity and the scientific race to reach absolute zero temperature, here is the documentary for you (parts 1 and 2).
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