A great book about what most people would consider impossible in the present era. The author uses simple language to explain complicated physics concepts about "impossible" technologies which could very much be possible in the future. Interesting topics include: time travel, telepathy, telekenesis and forces fields.

Informative for people who like sci-fi (Star Trek and Star Wars get a lot of mentions) and wonder if any of it is remotely possible in the real world. The explanations of the concepts of Physics and ongoing research are generally easy to read and understand... well, maybe with the exception of the string theory and particle physics sections.

A fascinating look at the boundaries between science fiction and science fact, weaving the correlation with our planets history, popular literature and Hollywood productions that have engaged imaginations from the dawn of time.

I highly suspect that there are many discoveries made nowadays that the public has know way of knowing, for since the end of the cold war governments are hell bent on secrecy. Many discoveries are left to moulder and collect dust on shelves in a dank government basement somewhere. The governments of today fear so much that they will become destabilized by new technologies that they will do anything to buy the discoverer out, or to not fund the research in the first place, which is what governments do if they want new discoveries to make it. I, as a young person would be very worried about the way things are going in our "modern" world and the sleazy politicians who hold the keys to the future. Sometimes new technologies also put people out of work, and no politician wants to lay off large segments of the population. And usually the newer technology involves mass layoffs of the populace, for it's very idea is to become another "labour saving" device.

Fabulous details, easy to understand. Other authors- David Bodanis - The Secret Family, E = MC 2 Genesis: A Inorganic Theory of the Origin of LIfe

I won't even try to pretend that I was able to fully understand a few of the ideas explored in this book. Nevertheless, I did enjoy reading it and although I did glass over a couple of times, it did give me a good idea of how far we still have to go before a lot of science fiction becomes science fact. That, and I can now feel a little more secure when I laugh at some new pseudoscience or quackery that comes along with the term 'quantum' in it's name. I am reminded of Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."