Book Review: The Future of the Mind

The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind by Michio Kaku
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Projecting advances in neuroscience based on physics.

In The Future of the Mind, Michio Kaku approaches brain science from a physicist's perspective. He evaluates predictions and possibilities using the laws of physics as his primary guide to whether or not projections are realistic or not, and how quickly they may come to fruition.

The first two chapters are a brief history of neuroscience, a discussion of brain anatomy, technologies and equipment that are used to study the brain, various models employed in explaining how the brain works, and how to define consciousness and what it means to be human.

The bulk of the book, the middle chapters, deals with various aspects of neuroscience and advancements that have taken popular imagination such as mind-reading, telekinesis, artificial improvements to the brain, mind-control, and more. With each Michio discusses a brief history of the topic, current science, various future possibilities, what physics might allow, and the legal and ethical ramifications.

The final chapters deal with the more abstract ideas of consciousness beyond attachment to a physical body, including a physical brain. He provides various scenarios in which "immortality" might one day become possible based on physics.

The book is a fascinating journey into the past, present, and future of the mind - the brain and consciousness. It is written in plain English (i.e., no heavy technical or medical jargon), though previous familiarity with the topics (medical and physics) no doubt will improve comprehension. In addition to people interested in learning more about the brain and the future of neuroscience, I think this book will be of interest to science-fiction fans. Highly recommended.


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