The God Equation author, physicist Michio Kaku, reveals he’s a Star Trek fan, in conversation with LeVar Burton

Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku and Star Trek: The Next Generation’s LeVar Burton

MAY 2, 2021 - Last week, we told you about a special, virtual conversation happening between Star Trek: The Next Generation actor LeVar Burton and noted physicist Michio Kaku at the 2021 Chicago Humanities Festival. During the event, the pair discussed Kaku’s latest book, The God Equation: The Quest for a Theory of Everything, among other topics spanning pretty much the breadth of the universe. When it comes to Star Trek, both men agreed the worlds of science and science fiction are definitely related, with Star Trek inspiring the scientists and engineers of tomorrow.

Posing a scenario in which Captain Kirk flipped open his hip mounted communicator to call the Enterprise, Burton suggested that someone, somewhere was inspired. Continuing, Burton said, “That child probably grew up and became an engineer, a scientist, a designer of product, and is responsible for a piece of technology that is more common on this planet than a toaster. At least it has been in the past. That's a flip cell phone.”

Burton’s scenario isn’t far-fetched. As it turns out, Kaku is a lifelong Trekkie. During their conversation, Kaku admitted that he, too, was inspired by science fiction as a child. “I was hooked,” Kaku told Burton. “I mean, what's there not to love? Space monsters, ray guns, invisibility shields, [underwater cities]... I was hooked.” Kaku described how he was curious about things like warp drive, the fourth dimension, and hyperspace as a child. That curiosity drove him to become a physicist, seeking an understanding of the ideas that fascinated him as a child.

To read Dr. Michio Kaku’s latest book The God Equation: The Quest for a Theory of Everything, visit Bookshop.org, Amazon.com, or wherever you get your books.