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Sci Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible : Season 2
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Air date: 01 Sep '10 - 12 episodesSci Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible is an American documentary television series on Science which first aired in the United States on December 1, 2009. The series is hosted by theoretical physicist Michio Kaku and is based on his book Physics of the Impossible. In each episode, Dr. Kaku addresses a technological concept from science fiction and designs his own theoretical version of the technology using currently-known science. He also visits scientists developing technology related to the episode's concept.
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List of Episodes (12)
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Sci Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible (2009)
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1. Earth 2.0
01 Sep '10Dr. Michio Kaku believes it is possible to transform a neighboring Planet into a second Earth. Space scientist Geoff Landis demonstrates how we could build floating cities in the gaseous atmosphere of Venus. The nightmarish conditions on the planet's surface lead Kaku to look farther afield and he meets up with Bob Zubrin from the Mars Society, who explains how the Red Planet could be geoengineered. Mars already has water, but all of it is frozen solid. So Chris McKay, a NASA research scientist,
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Sci Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible (2009)
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2. Galactic Colonization
01 Sep '10Dr. Michio Kaku shows how science fiction's most inspiring vision — the colonization of the galaxy — could become reality. At the Carnegie Mellon Institute, Dr. Pei Zhang demonstrates his robot probes and Kaku shows how these swarmbots could be used to find habitable planets. He enlists the help of spacecraft engineer Mason Peck to explain how Jupiter's magnetism could power the tiny craft into deep space. But once the probes are there and establish bases, how do colonists cover the vast distanc
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Sci Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible (2009)
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3. Deep Impact
08 Sep '10Dr. Michio Kaku is on a mission to save planet Earth. Nearly 90 percent of the rocks in space are big enough to destroy our civilization. And it's not a question of if they'll hit our planet, but when. He shows what would happen if we really did use nuclear weapons to blow up an incoming asteroid and comes up with a safer, rocket-powered solution. Kaku meets up with Harvard's Professor Brian Marsden, who explains how a massive comet could smash into Earth without warning. To deal with the multip
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Sci Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible (2009)
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4. A New Solar System
15 Sep '10Behold, Dr. Michio Kaku's most ambitious plan yet — the construction of a new solar system. He meets Paul Butler of the Carnegie Institution who identifies 47 Ursae Majoris as our nearest suitable star. But with no Earth planets in orbit, it sure doesn't feel like our solar system. Gravity could be used to manipulate a moon into an Earth like position. But Kaku's thinking bigger than that. If he's building a whole new solar system for humanity, surely he should be able to harness the power of ou
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Sci Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible (2009)
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5. Alien Invasion
22 Sep '10The aliens are coming! It's the cry at the heart of hundreds of sci fi movies. Dr. Michio Kaku asks, "What would we really do if a hostile alien race were intent on invading the Earth?" It seems like a hopeless scenario — any extraterrestrial aggressors who did show up would be far superior to us. But Michio has a plan to save the world. Professors Paul Davies and Max Tegmark are skeptical. They believe that faced with invasion by super advanced beings, our only sensible option would be immediat
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Sci Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible (2009)
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6. First Contact
29 Sep '10Today on Discovery Enterprise we join Dr. Michio Kaku on a mission to make first contact with highly advanced extraterrestrial civilizations.Explore the world of the seemingly impossible with the series SCI FI SCIENCE. Hosted by internationally-renowned physicist and co-founder of string field theory, Dr. Michio Kaku, this series poses the idea that science fiction may not be so far from science
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Sci Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible (2009)
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7. Destroy the Death Star
06 Oct '10Dr. Michio Kaku takes on the biggest and deadliest war machine in science fiction — the Death Star. We've all seen Luke Skywalker in action but could a lone star fighter really take out a battle station as a big as a moon? Michio brings physics to bear on the most iconic scene in sci fi. He talks swarm tactics with top gun pilot Colonel Rod Zastrow, who flew an F15 in the Gulf War, and reveals the truth about dogfights in space. Space shuttle pilot Ken Rogers explains how real spaceships maneuve
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Sci Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible (2009)
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8. Black Hole Odyssey
13 Oct '10In sci fi, the most destructive force in the entire universe is also the key to traveling to a whole host of mind-blowing destinations. Jump through a black hole and you might end up in another universe or in another part of space and time. Dr. Michio Kaku aims to sort fact from fiction and work out how to travel through a black hole...and survive. On the way, he meets Dr. Andrew Hamilton who has used Einstein's equations to build a black hole simulator. Michio takes a ride and finds out firstha
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Sci Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible (2009)
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9. Cyborg Army
20 Oct '10Science fiction is full of terrifying man-machines whose awesome power can crush any opponent. But could we one day build our own army of superhuman cyborgs to protect us from extraterrestrial threats? Dr. Michio Kaku thinks so. Advances in biomechanics mean we can already meld nerve endings and robotic body parts. On a combat exercise in Fort Benning, Georgia, Michio road tests the U.S. Army's latest communications system — could it be the first step toward a Borg like collective consciousness?
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Sci Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible (2009)
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10. A.I. Uprising
27 Oct '10Imagine a world ruled by artificial intelligence where humans have been wiped out. This is no sci-fi fantasy. We're fast approaching the moment when machines will be smarter than we are! We need a plan to stay on top and Dr. Michio Kaku is on the case. He's recruited help from some of America's top experts. Technology guru Marshall Brain thinks we may be only 40 years away from what scientists call 'The Singularity'. Michio considers AI researcher Ben Goertzel's proposal for a nanny artificial i
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Sci Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible (2009)
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11. Holodeck
03 Nov '10Dr. Michio Kaku believes there is nothing stopping us from building a holodeck straight out of Star Trek. He's on a mission to create an imaginary world indistinguishable from the real thing. At Rowan University, Michio experiences total immersion virtual reality as he takes on a T-Rex. Later, he goes on a patrol with the U.S. Army as he comes to grips with their omni-directional treadmill. Seth Goldstein at Carnegie Mellon explains how programmable matter will mean objects can shapeshift at the
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Sci Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible (2009)
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12. Shapeshifting Transformer
10 Nov '10According to Hollywood, evil robots are all around us, disguised as cars and trucks. But what the movies don't explain is what kind of mechanical power allows a Camero to stand up and move around like a human. Dr. Michio Kaku is on a quest to build a real life shapeshifting Transformer. On the way, he takes a ride in the amazing hydraulic cars of New York's 'Lunatic Low Riders' and explains the awesome power of a hydraulic smashing crane. At Pittsburgh Zoo, he gets an audience with Nature's grea
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