Michio Kaku, PhD is the author of "Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel." Physics is simply the science of studying matter and how it exists and moves through space and time. Kaku presents physics in a number of ways so that the layperson may understand the importance of physics and how it relates to everyday life. Kaku makes many references to physics by using pop culture references, particularly to books and movies such as Star Trek, Back to the Future, Flash Gordon, The Fly, The Invisible Man, and more. Kaku uses these examples to prove or disprove the possibility of certain items such as invisibility, force fields, and teleportation.

Chapter 1: Force Fields begins with Arthur C. Clarke's Three Laws:

"I. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.

II. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.

III. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

Kaku uses this as a basis to explore three levels of impossibilities in physics. Kaku breaks down various impossibilities and explains why they are impossible - at least currently - because they defy one or more areas of physics. The book is broken into four sections of these impossibilities:

Part I: Class I Impossibilities

This section covers the following topics: Force Fields, Invisibility, Phasers and Death Stars, Teleportation, Telepathy, Psychokinesis, Robots, Extraterrestrials and UFOs, Starships, Antimatter and Anti-Universes

Many of these impossibilities have been referenced in literature since ancient times and have made their way into movies and often into reality albeit in small ways. Kaku discusses each topic and explains its basic premise and corresponding scientific experiments and theories. Some of the impossibilities are considered to be something that may be able to be achieved at some time in the future, although perhaps not in the way they are portrayed in modern culture or literature.

Part II: Class II Impossibilities, covers the topics of Faster Than Light, Time Travel, and Parallel Universes. Many of these impossibilities have been referenced in literature, particularly in the works of such greats as HG Wells and Isaac Asimov. Kaku discusses each topic and explains its basic premise and corresponding scientific experiments and theories. Some of the impossibilities are considered to be something that may be able to be achieved at some time in the distant future, although perhaps not in the way they are portrayed in modern culture or literature.

Part III: Class III Impossibilities covers the topics of Perpetual Motion Machines and Precognition. Kaku notes that there are only two things that are currently considered to be Class III Impossibilities but one must wonder if other technologies also present the same problems. Kaku states that while some things are impossible in mathematics, it is dangerous to assume that there are impossibilities in physics.

The Epilogue addresses the Future of the Impossible.