“I used to watch the old 'Flash Gordon' series on TV, and it was thrilling to rocket to the planet Mongo every week. But after a while, I figured out that although Flash got the girl and all the accolades, it was really Dr. Zarkov who made the series work. Without Dr. Zarkov, there could be no Flash Gordon.”

American theoretical physicist, science communicator, futurologist, and writer of popular science

Michio Kaku is an American theoretical physicist, science communicator, futurologist, and popular science writer. He is a professor of theoretical physics at the City College of New York and the CUNY Graduate Center. He has written several books on physics and related subjects, and he is a familiar presence in radio, television, and film. He also writes regularly for his own blog and for other popular media outlets. In 2021, he received the Sir Arthur Clarke Lifetime Achievement Award for work that helped connect science and science fiction.