MAM2000 (People/Kaku)

Math Expands: Michio Kaku

Michio Kaku

In his book Hyperspace physics professor Michio Kaku introduces readers to phenomena that occur in ten or twenty-six dimensions. To prepare for this leap into higher space, he invites his audience to imagine the plight of a two-dimensional creature trying to understand the third dimension. The Flatland analogy still works!

Prof. Kaku is the author of many works on physics and its relationship to other sciences, including ecology, as described on the WBAI web page for his weekly national science radio show. The Frequently Asked Questions list from that page answers a number of common questions about physics and higher dimensions.

Numerous other writers have provided ways of looking at the structure of the universe from the point of view of mathematical physics.

Geometry, Relativity, and the Fourth Dimension (1977) by Rudolf Rucker, is still available as a Dover Paperback, and his book The Fourth Dimension: A Guided Tour to Higher Universes can be purchaed on line.

The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene (1999) gives a very good account of string theory. There is a review of that book in 21stC: The World of Research at Columbia University that includes a bibliography of related links. Columbia's Alumni Office has published another review.

Another recent book that treats similar themes is Surfing through Hyperspace (2000) by Clifford Pickover.