#562: Dr. Michio Kaku — Exploring Time Travel, the Beauty of Physics, Parallel Universes, the Mind of God, String Theory, Lessons from Einstein, and More

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Dr. Michio Kaku (@michiokaku) is a
professor of theoretical physics at The City College of New York,
co-founder of string field theory, and the author of several
widely acclaimed science books, including Beyond
Einstein, The Future of Humanity, The Future of the
Mind, Hyperspace, Physics of the Future, Physics
of the Impossible, and his latest, The God Equation: The
Quest for a Theory of Everything.


He is the science correspondent for CBS This Morning, the
host of the radio programs Science
Fantastic and Exploration, and a host of several
science TV specials for the BBC and the Discovery and Science
Channels.


Please enjoy!


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What piqued Michio’s curiosity about science at an early age —
and what did he build in his garage with his parents’ grudging
permission? [05:08]


How did hydrogen bomb pioneer Edward Teller, the patron who paid
Michio’s way through Harvard, react when he turned down his
generous job offer to design hydrogen warheads in favor of
probing the mysteries of The Big Bang? [10:20]


Knowing his California-born parents had been locked up by the
United States government in an internment camp on the basis of
their Japanese heritage during WWII, did Michio have any
reservations about serving the country during the Vietnam War?
[11:30]


The ingredients Michio feels are necessary for anyone to rise
above any hardship. [12:53]


What sci-fi had an impact on young Michio’s curiosity and passion
to explore the mysteries of science? [14:47]


Does Michio think Einstein underestimated philosophy’s potential
for practical application? Are there any philosophies better
suited than others for answering the universe’s big questions?
Are there any questions that can’t be answered? [16:46]


What constitutes burden of proof when it comes to science?
[25:56]


What is a parallel universe? [35:20]


Why does the rate at which time moves vary depending on where
it’s observed, and what are the implications of this phenomenon?
[37:04]


How does Michio think about consciousness? Is the term synonymous
with self-awareness? [42:26]


When Einstein pondered what it would take to “read the mind of
God,” what kind of God was he imagining? For that matter, how
does Michio think about the concept of God? [53:22]


What is string theory, why is it controversial, and why are such
controversies healthy for science? [58:50]


What would be the practical applications of a theory of
everything proven? What questions could we finally answer?
[1:04:37]


Does music play a part in how Michio contemplates physics?
[1:09:52]


Michio’s challenge to our listeners. [1:13:07]


Why didn’t cosmologist George Gamow win the Nobel Prize for his
work on proving the Big Bang theory? [1:13:36]


Is there a career cost for research scientists who work to make
science more accessible to the non-academic masses? What is the
cost to society if there aren’t scientists willing to take that
risk? [1:16:58]


How are some scientists seemingly able to predict the future more
accurately than others? What advancements does Michio foresee in
the next couple of decades? [1:22:13]


For listeners unfamiliar with the body of Michio’s work, where
does he recommend they begin? [1:29:17]


Michio’s favorite Einstein quote and other parting thoughts.
[1:30:56]


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Past guests on The Tim Ferriss
Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh
Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin
Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew
McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth
Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah
Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine
Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary
Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael
Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria
Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de
Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly
Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard
Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael
Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan
Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit
Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim
Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval
Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth
Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard
Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid
Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick
Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many
more.


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