Internationally-distinguished theoretical physicist Dr. Michio Kaku will visit Chattanooga State Community College on Thursday, April 5, 2012. Invited to participate in a variety of interactions with students, Kaku will conclude his Chattanooga State visit by presenting a lecture entitled “Physics of the Future.” This special event begins at 6 p.m. in the Health Fitness Center on Chattanooga State’s main campus, located at 4501 Amnicola Highway. Admission to Kaku’s evening presentation is free, and the public is welcome to attend.

Known as a futurist and science literacy advocate, Kaku is a dedicated educator, an acclaimed author, the host of two nationally-syndicated radio broadcasts, the host of a television show, and a highly-valued consultant who collaborates on scientific projects around the world. Continuing the work of Albert Einstein, he is a principal researcher in the global quest for an inclusive theory to unite the four fundamental forces of the universe. In this pursuit, Kaku is a co-founder of string field theory, which is the foremost model currently under consideration by the international scientific community. For more than 25 years, Kaku has been a member of the faculty at the City College of New York, where he teaches theoretical physics and holds the title of Henry Semat Chair and Professor. He is also a visiting professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, which is located in Princeton, New Jersey; a visiting professor at New York University (NYU); and a fellow of the American Physical Society.

Instinctively inquisitive, Kaku was a teenager when he assembled a particle accelerator in his parents’ garage. This astounding project, which he exhibited at the National Science Fair in Albuquerque, New Mexico, attracted the attention of physicist Edward Teller. Known as the father of the hydrogen bomb, Teller recognized Kaku’s talent and, as a board member of the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation, awarded him the prestigious Hertz Engineering Scholarship. With Teller’s endorsement, Kaku began his college career at Harvard University and graduated, summa cum laude, in 1968, with a Bachelor of Science in physics. He continued his education at the Berkeley Radiation Laboratory on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, earning a Ph.D. in 1972. In 1973, Kaku returned to the east coast to accept a position as a lecturer at Princeton University.

A prolific writer, Kaku is the author of college textbooks and has penned more than 70 scholastic articles that traverse topics such as superstring theory, supergravity, supersymmetry, and hadronic physics. In stark contrast to his academic reputation is his iconic status for crafting manuscripts that position science as relevant in daily life. As evidenced by their commercial success, Kaku’s publications are legendary for relating the importance of science, especially physics, in language that the public easily comprehends. One of his most noteworthy books, Physics of the Future, is a New York Times bestseller and showcases the impact that revolutionary developments in medicine, computers, quantum physics, and space travel will have on the course of civilization. Kaku’s other popular publications are Physics of the Impossible (2008), Parallel Worlds (2006), Einstein’s Cosmos (2005), Visions (1999), Beyond Einstein (1995), and Hyperspace (1994).

Kaku is the host of two nationally-syndicated radio shows, Science Fantastic and Explorations in Science, and is the host of Sci Fi Science, a Discovery Channel program that explores science fiction concepts, such as time travel, as possible experiences in the future. In addition to these shows, he often contributes expert commentary during programs airing on the BBC, ABC, NBC, CBS, The History Channel, Discovery Channel, FOX News, and CNN.

For more information about Dr. Michio Kaku’s visit to Chattanooga State, contact Phyllis Mescon by email at phyllis.mescon@chattanoogastate.edu or by telephone at 423.697.3380 or contact Mary Knaff by email at mary.knaff@chattanoogastate.edu or by telephone at 423.697.3358.

Information about Kaku’s evening lecture is also available on the college’s website at www.chattanoogastate.edu.

For information about Chattanooga State Community College and its educational programs, call the Chattanooga State information hotline at 423.697.4404 or toll free at 1.866.547.3733.

Information is available at on the Chattanooga State website at www.chattanoogastate.edu, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChattState?ref=ts, and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/ChattStateCC.

Chattanooga State Community College is a comprehensive, regionally-accredited community college, governed by the policies and guidelines as set forth by the Tennessee Board of Regents. Chattanooga State’s mission is to transform the lives of individuals and to develop the capacities of the business and industrial communities through technical and postsecondary education. Founded in 1965, the college serves a six-county area in Southeast Tennessee and offers more than 50 educational programs.