July 15, 1999: Theoretical Physics - Dr. Michio Kaku

Art Bell welcomes Dr. Michio Kaku, co-founder of String Field Theory and professor of theoretical physics at City University of New York, for a wide-ranging exploration of the frontiers of modern physics. They discuss the quest for a unified field theory, the possibility of parallel universes existing like bubbles in quantum foam, and whether time travel could split reality into divergent timelines.

Dr. Kaku explains how scientists recently slowed light to 20 miles per hour using Bose condensation, and why the universe appears to be accelerating toward a cold, dark future. The conversation turns to NASA's upcoming Deep Impact mission to slam a projectile into a comet and the controversial Cassini spacecraft carrying 72 pounds of plutonium set to fly just 700 miles from Earth in August 1999. Dr. Kaku reveals a classified memo estimating tens of thousands of potential casualties if Cassini were to reenter the atmosphere.

The discussion also covers rogue planets with possible subsurface oceans, genetic engineering ethics, the discovery of new super-heavy elements, and Einstein's brain autopsy revealing structural differences linked to abstract thinking. Callers press Dr. Kaku on M-theory's eleven dimensions and the clumpiness of the visible universe.