--- title: "Physicist Says There’s a Small Chance You’ll Wake Up on Mars Tomorrow Due to Quantum Physics" description: "Michio Kaku says that he often gives his students a particular experiment in which he has them calculate the probability that they wake up on Mars tomorrow." date: "2022-06-21" modified: "2022-06-21" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/michio-kaku-mars" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Mars" - "Physics" - "Quantum Physics" - "Science & Energy" - "Space" tags: - "michio kaku" - "quantum physics" - "string theory" - "the digest" - "theoretical physics" --- # Physicist Says There’s a Small Chance You’ll Wake Up on Mars Tomorrow Due to Quantum Physics ![Michio Kaku says that he often gives his students a particular experiment in which he has them calculate the probability that they wake up on Mars tomorrow.]() *\Image: 20th Century Studios\* ## Wave Rider Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku says he often gives his students a particular thought experiment: to calculate the probability that they wake up on Mars tomorrow, due to the vagaries of the theory of multiple universes. Though the question seems decidedly wacky, [Kaku writes in a *New York Times* column]() about the wondrous intrigue of quantum physics, which pits the possible versus the likely. "Quantum theory," Kaku writes, "is based on what is known as Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, allowing for a small probability that we can exist even on distant places like Mars." Given this principle, "there’s a tiny but calculable likelihood that our quantum wave will tunnel its way through space-time and wind up there." ## Reality Bites The reality, as the physicist writes, is that "when you do the calculation, you find that for \[you to wake up on Mars\], you’d have to wait longer than the lifetime of the universe." But there's [still a chance](). Using a series of beautifully simple metaphors, Kaku reinforces his belief that reality is, paraphrasing the British geneticist J.B.S. Haldane, "not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we *can* suppose." It's incredibly improbable, in other words, that you are going to wake up on Mars tomorrow. And if you did, the extreme cold and lack of a breathable atmosphere would pose grim new challenges. But as Kaku notes, unlikely doesn't mean impossible — which is why quantum physics, and its quest to explain the origins of the universe down to the level quantum uncertainty, makes all the difference in the worlds that exist, have existed, or could exist in the future. **READ MORE:** [In a Parallel Universe, Another You]() \[*The New York Times*\] **More quantum:** [Experiment Suggests That Consciousness May Be Rooted in Quantum Physics]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()