Dr. Michio Kaku
Dr. Michio Kaku
Known as a futurist and science literacy advocate, internationally known theoretical physicist Dr. Michio Kaku visits Chattanooga State at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 5, in the health fitness center on campus. Kaku will present a lecture entitled “Physics of the Future.” The event is open to the public and admission is free.
“We initially choose speakers who students recognize, who are current on the latest scientific discoveries, and who can relate these discoveries to audiences in terms that are relevant and comprehensible,” said Phyllis Mescon of Chatt State Student Affairs.
Kaku was chosen as a guest speaker by a committee comprised of faculty, staff and students. Mescon said that the committee seeks to bring nationally prominent, highly credentialed science educators whose interactions are universally acceptable for students to participate in the experience. Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson was the first speaker, she said, and he was very popular among the student body. Mescon said they are expecting a similar experience with Kaku’s visit.
Kaku is a dedicated educator, an acclaimed author, host of two nationally syndicated radio broadcasts, host of a television show, and a valued consultant collaborating on scientific projects around the world. He continues the work of Albert Einstein as principal researcher in the global effort for an inclusive theory to unite the four fundamental forces of the universe. Within this discipline, Kaku is co-founder of string field theory, the foremost model currently under consideration by the international scientific community.
Kaku is a faculty member at the City College of New York, where he teaches theoretical physics and holds the title of Henry Semat Chair and Professor. In Princeton, N.J., he is also a visiting professor at the Institute for Advanced Study. Elsewhere, he is a visiting professor at the New York University and fellow of the American Physical Society.
His college career began at Harvard University, where he graduated summa cum laude in 1968. From there, he continued his education at the Berkeley Radiation Laboratory on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, earning a Ph.D. in 1972. He then took a position on the east coast as a lecturer at Princeton University.
An experienced writer, Kaku has authored college textbooks and has published more than 70 scholastic articles that span topics such as superstring theory, supergravity, supersymmetry, and hadronic physics. Kaku has developed an iconic status for creating manuscripts that position science as relevant in daily life. His publications relay the importance of science, particularly physics, in language that the public readily understands.
As host of the radio programs “Science Fantastic” and “Explorations in Science,” as well as the Discovery Channel program, “Sci Fi Science,” Kaku explores science-fiction concepts such as time travel as possible experiences in the future. He also contributes regularly to programs on BBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, The History Channel, Discovery Channel, FOX News and CNN.
“During his visit, Chattanooga State students will be able to interface with an internationally influential and esteemed scientist, and glean first-hand information about the global science projects on which he is very personally involved,” said Mescon.
Kaku is participating as a principal researcher around the world, and he’ll share a bit of that knowledge with Chattanooga on his visit.
“Without a doubt, spotlighting Dr. Kaku and his work encourages and improves science literacy among our student body,” Mescon said.