Michio Kaku

Michio Kaku
Kaku in 2020
Michio Kaku
Born	24 1, 1947
Birthplace	San Jose, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Theoretical physicist, author, science communicator
Employer	City College of New York, CUNY Graduate Center
Known for	Light-cone string field theory, popular science books
Education	University of California, Berkeley (Ph.D., 1972)
Spouse(s)	Shizue Kaku
Children	2
Awards	Sir Arthur Clarke Lifetime Achievement Award (2021)

Michio Kaku (Template:Lang; born January 24, 1947) is an American theoretical physicist, futurologist, author, and science communicator who has become one of the most recognizable scientific voices in contemporary media. A professor of theoretical physics at the City College of New York and the CUNY Graduate Center, Kaku has spent his academic career working on string field theory, particularly the development of light-cone string field theory. Beyond his contributions to theoretical physics, he has authored numerous popular science books — several of which became New York Times best sellers — including Physics of the Impossible (2008), Physics of the Future (2011), The Future of the Mind (2014), and The God Equation: The Quest for a Theory of Everything (2021). Kaku has hosted television specials for the BBC, the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, and the Science Channel, and he maintains an active presence in public discourse about science, technology, and the future of humanity. For his efforts to bridge science and science fiction, he received the Sir Arthur Clarke Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021. He continues to lecture at universities across the United States and to appear as a commentator on scientific developments in popular media.

Early Life

Michio Kaku was born on January 24, 1947, in San Jose, California, to Japanese-American parents. His family's heritage shaped aspects of his upbringing in the postwar United States, and he grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Kaku displayed an early fascination with physics and the fundamental workings of the universe. As a high school student, he built an atom smasher in his parents' garage for a science fair project, which attracted the attention of physicist Edward Teller. This early demonstration of scientific ambition helped set the course for his academic career.

Growing up as a Japanese American in the mid-twentieth century, Kaku was also aware of the broader social and political context in which science operated. His interest in physics was, from the start, connected not only to abstract theoretical questions but also to the real-world implications of scientific discovery — a dual concern that would later define his career as both a researcher and a public intellectual.

Education

Kaku attended Harvard University for his undergraduate studies, where he graduated summa cum laude. He then pursued graduate work in physics at the University of California, Berkeley, one of the leading centers for theoretical physics research in the United States. At Berkeley, he completed his doctoral dissertation, titled "Spin and Unitarity in Dual Resonance Models," in 1972, under the supervision of Stanley Mandelstam and Robert Pound. His doctoral research focused on the mathematical foundations of dual resonance models, which were precursors to modern string theory. This early work positioned Kaku at the forefront of a field that was still in its formative stages.

During his time at Berkeley, Kaku was also affected by the Vietnam War era. He was drafted into the United States Army and completed basic training at Fort Benning, though he did not serve in Vietnam, as the war wound down before he was deployed. The experience of the draft and the political turbulence of the late 1960s and early 1970s contributed to his later interest in the social dimensions of science and technology.

Career

Academic Research

After completing his doctorate, Kaku embarked on an academic career in theoretical physics. He held positions at several institutions, including New York University, Princeton University, and the Institute for Advanced Study, before joining the faculty of the City College of New York, where he became a professor of theoretical physics. He also holds a position at the CUNY Graduate Center.

Kaku's primary research focus has been in the area of string field theory, and he is credited with co-founding light-cone string field theory, a formulation that seeks to describe the interactions of strings in a manner consistent with both quantum mechanics and special relativity. His academic publications appear in peer-reviewed journals, including Physical Review D.

String field theory seeks to provide a complete quantum-mechanical description of string theory, analogous to how quantum field theory describes point particles. Kaku's contributions to the light-cone formulation were part of a broader effort in the physics community during the 1970s and 1980s to develop a mathematically rigorous framework for string interactions. His work in this area has been part of the larger quest for a unified field theory — sometimes called a "theory of everything" — that would reconcile general relativity with quantum mechanics.

In addition to his research papers, Kaku has authored academic textbooks used in graduate-level physics courses. These works cover topics in quantum field theory and string theory, contributing to the pedagogical literature of the discipline.

Popular Science Writing

Kaku became increasingly known to the general public through his popular science books, which translate complex theoretical physics concepts into language accessible to non-specialist readers. His publishing career in this area spans several decades and includes a number of titles that achieved commercial success and critical attention.

Among his best-known books are:

• Hyperspace (1994), which introduced general readers to the concept of higher dimensions in physics. The book was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize.
• Physics of the Impossible (2008), which examined technologies from science fiction — such as force fields, invisibility, and time travel — through the lens of known physics, assessing how close or far these concepts are from realization. The book became a New York Times best seller.
• Physics of the Future (2011), which offered predictions about technological developments in the coming century, based on interviews with scientists and engineers. It also became a New York Times best seller.
• The Future of the Mind (2014), which explored neuroscience and the physics of consciousness, discussing topics such as telepathy, telekinesis, and the possibility of uploading consciousness to computers. This book likewise reached the New York Times best-seller list.
• The God Equation: The Quest for a Theory of Everything (2021), which traced the history of attempts to find a single equation that would unify all the forces of nature. It became a New York Times best seller.

Kaku's approach in these books typically involves presenting cutting-edge physics in the context of its potential future applications, often drawing on science fiction as a point of entry. His writing tends to be optimistic about the trajectory of scientific progress, and he frequently speculates about how developments in physics and technology could reshape civilization.

Television, Radio, and Media

Beyond the printed page, Kaku has been a prolific presence in broadcast media. He has hosted television specials for the BBC, the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, and the Science Channel. These programs typically explore topics such as the future of technology, the nature of the universe, and the possibilities of advanced physics.

On radio, Kaku has been a regular guest on programs such as Coast to Coast AM, where he has discussed a wide range of scientific and speculative topics. He has also hosted his own radio programs over the years, using the format to engage with public questions about science and the future.

Kaku has appeared as a commentator in numerous documentary films and news segments. His ability to explain complex scientific concepts in accessible terms has made him a frequent choice for media outlets seeking expert commentary on developments in physics, space exploration, and technology.

In recent years, Kaku has maintained an active online presence through appearances on platforms such as Big Think, where he discusses topics ranging from string theory and quantum computing to the Kardashev scale and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. He has also discussed topics such as the potential of quantum supremacy to transform computing and technology.

Public Lectures and Speaking

Kaku is an active public speaker, delivering lectures at universities, conferences, and public events throughout the United States and internationally. His speaking engagements typically cover topics in theoretical physics, the future of technology, and the nature of scientific inquiry. In 2025, he delivered a lecture at the University of Tennessee on the physics of time travel. In early 2026, Illinois State University announced that Kaku would be featured in its Presidential Speaker Series.

His lecture style draws on the same techniques he uses in his writing and media appearances: translating abstract physics into concrete analogies and connecting fundamental research to questions of broad public interest.

Activism and Social Commentary

Throughout his career, Kaku has engaged with the social and political implications of science and technology. He has spoken and written about nuclear weapons, nuclear power, and the environmental consequences of energy policy. He was involved in anti-nuclear activism and has commented on the risks posed by nuclear technologies. He was also vocal in his opposition to the Cassini–Huygens mission's use of plutonium-based power sources, expressing concern about the potential risks of a launch accident.

Kaku's activism reflects a broader concern with the responsible application of scientific knowledge — a theme that runs through much of his public communication. He has argued that scientists have a responsibility to engage with the public about the implications of their work.

Deepfakes and Misinformation

In late 2025, Kaku drew attention to the problem of artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes after discovering that his likeness had been used in fabricated videos to promote false claims that the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS was an alien spacecraft. Kaku publicly warned about the dangers of such technology and clarified that he attributed the comet's characteristics to its vast age rather than any extraterrestrial origin.

Personal Life

Michio Kaku is married to Shizue Kaku, and the couple have two children. He resides in the New York City area, where he has been based for much of his academic career at the City College of New York.

Kaku has spoken publicly about the influence of his Japanese-American heritage on his worldview and his approach to science. His parents' experiences as Japanese Americans during the mid-twentieth century informed his awareness of the intersection of science, society, and politics.

He serves on the board of advisors for CuriosityStream, a documentary streaming service focused on science and technology content.

Recognition

Kaku's contributions to both theoretical physics and science communication have been recognized through several awards and honors. In 2021, he received the Sir Arthur Clarke Lifetime Achievement Award for his efforts to bridge science and science fiction — an award that acknowledged his decades of work making complex physics accessible to the public.

His book Hyperspace was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize, one of the United Kingdom's leading nonfiction book awards, recognizing the quality of his popular science writing.

Four of his popular science books — Physics of the Impossible, Physics of the Future, The Future of the Mind, and The God Equation — reached the New York Times best-seller list, a marker of his ability to attract a large general readership to subjects in theoretical physics.

Kaku has been profiled and featured in major media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal. He has also been featured in Beyond and other publications.

Legacy

Michio Kaku occupies a distinctive position in contemporary science as both an active researcher in theoretical physics and one of the most prominent science communicators of his generation. His career spans the development of light-cone string field theory in the 1970s through decades of sustained public engagement with topics ranging from the future of computing to the search for a unified theory of physics.

His popular science books have introduced millions of readers to concepts in theoretical physics that might otherwise remain inaccessible outside academia. By framing advanced physics in terms of its potential future applications — and by drawing on the cultural appeal of science fiction — Kaku has created a body of work that serves as a bridge between the research community and the general public.

As a science communicator, Kaku has helped shape public discourse about the possibilities and risks of emerging technologies. His discussions of quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and space exploration have appeared across a wide range of media platforms, from network television to online video. His willingness to engage with speculative questions — such as the feasibility of time travel or the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence — has drawn both interest and scrutiny, placing him at the center of debates about the role of speculation in science communication.

Kaku's activism on issues related to nuclear technology and his commentary on the social responsibilities of scientists reflect a view of the physicist as a public intellectual with obligations extending beyond the laboratory. His career, taken as a whole, represents an attempt to unite rigorous theoretical work with broad public engagement — a combination that has defined his place in both the academic and popular landscapes of contemporary physics.