Chapters 1-3 Summary and Analysis

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 begins this chapter by referring to the force fields used by the television show Star Trek. Captain Kirk yells for "shields up" when the Starship Enterprise faces a threat by an outside force. The Enterprise relies upon their force fields to protect the Enterprise. Without force fields, the Enterprise would sustain damage and possible ruin.

"So what is a force field? In science fiction it's deceptively simple: a...