Michio Kaku and the Physics of the Future
JonnyPistachio
Florida Posts: 10,219
good read here:
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB1 ... hare_email
"Now, he says, the U.S. is losing its edge because we're not producing enough scientists. "Fifty percent of Ph.D. physicists are foreign-born, and they're here compliments of the H1-B visa," Mr. Kaku relates. "There's a brain drain into the United States; that's why we're still No. 1. But it can't last forever." China and India are slowly luring back their natives, while our top students are eschewing the hard sciences for lucrative careers in areas such as investment banking.
"I have nothing against investment banking," Mr. Kaku says, "but it's like massaging money rather than creating money. If you're in physics, you create inventions, you create lasers, you create transistors, computers, GPS." If you're an investment banker, on the other hand, "you don't create anything new. You simply massage other people's money and take a cut."
It's a shame, because Mr. Kaku believes humans are natural-born scientists. "When we're born, we want to know why the stars shine. We want to know why the sun rises." But then we hit "the danger years" for young people: high school. "And we lose them by the millions—literally by the millions. Why? It's a combination of bad teachers and no inspiration.""
and what happens to God when:
"Despite his concerns that his country is losing its edge, Mr. Kaku can't help but be optimistic. Just last month, scientists announced they had found a planet very likely to have liquid oceans (and thus the potential for life) 22 light years from the Earth. He predicts that within this century, we'll find evidence that "we're not the only game in town.""
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB1 ... hare_email
"Now, he says, the U.S. is losing its edge because we're not producing enough scientists. "Fifty percent of Ph.D. physicists are foreign-born, and they're here compliments of the H1-B visa," Mr. Kaku relates. "There's a brain drain into the United States; that's why we're still No. 1. But it can't last forever." China and India are slowly luring back their natives, while our top students are eschewing the hard sciences for lucrative careers in areas such as investment banking.
"I have nothing against investment banking," Mr. Kaku says, "but it's like massaging money rather than creating money. If you're in physics, you create inventions, you create lasers, you create transistors, computers, GPS." If you're an investment banker, on the other hand, "you don't create anything new. You simply massage other people's money and take a cut."
It's a shame, because Mr. Kaku believes humans are natural-born scientists. "When we're born, we want to know why the stars shine. We want to know why the sun rises." But then we hit "the danger years" for young people: high school. "And we lose them by the millions—literally by the millions. Why? It's a combination of bad teachers and no inspiration.""
and what happens to God when:
"Despite his concerns that his country is losing its edge, Mr. Kaku can't help but be optimistic. Just last month, scientists announced they had found a planet very likely to have liquid oceans (and thus the potential for life) 22 light years from the Earth. He predicts that within this century, we'll find evidence that "we're not the only game in town.""
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Comments
the man's just fantastic
"Hear me, my chiefs!
I am tired; my heart is
sick and sad. From where
the sun stands I will fight
no more forever."
Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
Fixable?
I think so. I really hope so.
(sidenote - his name just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? ....love it)
If so, "I hope I die before I get old[er]." :(
Bill McKibben's book Enough counters this future technology-without-end thinking very eloquently.
And don't worry about slamming me for my thinking on this- it's all speculative anyway and some of my best friends have hammered me for my anti-endless-techno thinking. I'm used to it.
-Eddie Vedder, "Smile"