Now

The Physics of Time - and the Ephemeral Moment that Einstein Could Not Explain

By: Richard A Muller

Narrated by: Christopher Grove

“Now” is a simple yet elusive concept.

You are reading the word “now” right now. But what does that mean? What makes the ephemeral moment “now” so special? Its enigmatic character has bedeviled philosophers, priests, and modern-day physicists from Augustine to Einstein and beyond. Einstein showed that the flow of time is affected by both velocity and gravity, yet he despaired at his failure to explain the meaning of “now.” Equally puzzling: why does time flow? Some physicists have given up trying to understand, and call the flow of time an illusion, but the eminent experimentalist physicist Richard A. Muller protests. He says physics should explain reality, not deny it.

In Now, Muller does more than poke holes in past ideas; he crafts his own revolutionary theory, one that makes testable predictions. He begins by laying out—with the refreshing clarity that made Physics for Future Presidents so successful—a firm and remarkably clear explanation of the physics building blocks of his theory: relativity, entropy, entanglement, antimatter, and the Big Bang. With the stage then set, he reveals a startling way forward.

Muller points out that the standard Big Bang theory explains the ongoing expansion of the universe as the continuous creation of new space. He argues that time is also expanding and that the leading edge of the new time is what we experience as “now.” This thought-provoking vision has remarkable implications for some of our biggest questions, not only in physics but also in philosophy—including the ongoing debate about the reality of free will. Moreover, his theory is testable. Muller’s monumental work will spark major debate about the most fundamental assumptions of our universe, and may crack one of physics’s longest-standing enigmas.

Includes a PDF of Images from the Book

Critic reviews

Mind-blowing…[Muller] posits a theory that seems at once plausible and—surprisingly, for a book with equations—one worth not spoiling.—Time

[A] concise master class in understanding the essentials of physics.—Lisa Jardine-Wright, Science

Muller has taken a remarkably fresh and exciting approach to the analysis of time. With his usual clarity and wit, he proceeds from solidly established principles—each a fascinating story in its own right—but when he gets to the meaning of the flow of time and now, he forges a new path. I expect controversy!—Saul Perlmutter, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics

Can science shed light on time’s dark mysteries? Richard Muller thinks it can, making his case in this clear, evocative, and wide-reaching investigation of how nature may generate the flow of time. Must-reading for all concerned with the why behind when. —Timothy Ferris, author of Coming of Age in the Milky Way

Richard Muller is a leading physicist, but he’s also intellectually restless. That’s a potent combination, with the power to generate transformative ideas about ourselves and our relationship to the universe. In Now: The Physics of Time, Muller hypothesizes how time itself might be created or destroyed. Maybe it’s right. Maybe it’s wrong. But along the way he’s given you a master class in what time is and how and why we perceive it the way we do. —Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and host of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey

A provocative, strongly argued book on the fundamental nature of time. As an experimental cosmologist who has initiated some of the most important experiments of our time, Muller knows well where the limits of science are, and he keeps us interested by his ability to work close to that edge.—Lee Smolin, author of Time Reborn

The kind of mind-expanding read that will give you something to think about late at night. Muller's passion for his topic shines through on every page.—Dennis Green, The Independent

Entertaining and at times refreshingly idiosyncratic…Richard Muller’s new theory deserves a serious look, and his book presents important lessons in physics and beyond.—Martin Bojowald, Physics Today

A thoughtful, thought-provoking and accessible book that blends concepts from relativity, thermodynamics and quantum theory to elucidate how physics got where it is, and the missteps that might have led it there.—Richard Webb, New Scientist

Bewildering, mind blowing, ultimately enlightening

I'm an artist and writer, very right-brained, sadly inept in mathematics and the sciences. Yet I have always been fascinated by Physics. Physics has remained a bewildering foreign language to me. Over the years, I thought if I listened to enough words spoken in the language Physics, I would suddenly understand it. Until this book, my hope has been unfulfilled. However, about half way through this book, my brain experienced an awakening to the notion of symmetry. I can't explain it, but from that moment forward, I understood, haltingly it is true, how and why Physics reveals and predicts the universe and life. I am going to listen to this book from the beginning again and again.

No. Sorry, Just No

I like Richard Muller and love Physics for Future Presidents. He jumps out on a limb in the book but unfortunately fails to make his case.

The best I can say is that he is clever to a point with semantics but really doesn't open the doors to a great, or as he would say, a more correct interpretation of time. Because entropy is a fluid process that cannot define 'now' is no reason to toss entropy as a means of defining time as best we are able. Really, time is fluid and there is no now. Before you can say now, the time has past. There is not frozen moment of time.

The book is interesting but I would not say it's ground breaking.

Extremely informative....

I now understand why we can't travel to the future and why the past cannot be changed. The author assumes that no one would want to travel to an immutable past but just to see it and be there would be better than anything - yes, even set. The person reading did an amazing job - he read with an understanding of the material that could only be exceeded by the author. Great book!

Great insights in real physics; some "metaphysics"

This audible is definitely worth a listen if you want to gain further insights into fundamental physics. The author, who is a highly-cited physicist in his practice, doesn't go super deep into any one topic, and not all critical topics of relevance are covered; but he does give what I consider to be really good, extensive explanations regarding entropy, quantum particles/fields, quantum gravity, etc.

It might fizzle out somewhat in the end; but it's not because of topics irrelevant to physics. He ends up digging further into borderline-metaphysics than most of his intended audience might appreciate, assuming that audience to be science-minded people who only respect falsifiable hypotheses. But eventually physicists will have to explain the borderline physics that he mentions. Besides, he never suggests pursuing any studies that can't be tested and falsified, so it's not "spiritual clap-trap".

Excellent and accessible review of modern physics

One of the better popular audience books written by active researchers: Muller includes a lot of relevant detail while keeping the narrative accessible and enjoyable. I enjoyed the historical perspective and liberal use of personal anecdotes. The philosophical sections can drag a bit, but cover important epistemological topics that modern scientists often paper over. Overall, an excellent synthesis with broad scope.

No answers

This book goes through a number of scientific areas which are interesting but ends up not delivering the answer to the question of now.

Besides describing time expansion being similar to space expansion, it seemed to me that now is a topic for further study, waiting for someone to come along and figure it out.

BEST PHYSICS BOOK I HAVE READ

What did you love best about Now?

A great summary of the history as well as the latest thinking about time and physics. Great

Interesting but surprising opinion

Overall the book is interesting and well written. A few notes though: I think his religious beliefs might distort his way of thinking or at least, at some moment, I felt the author is making an effort to reconciliate faith and reason. I don't agree with him regarding his opinion on free will and the existence of a soul beyond physical body, beyond consciousness. Those have no base other than belief. If it can't be disproved it does not mean it exists. All in all it's worth reading.

Interesting, challenging, but…

Would you listen to Now again? Why?

Parts of it, the actual science. Much of it is cutting-edge and lots of it is difficult for the lay reader. I'd skip the parts that veer into philosophy. It might be better in print then audiobook so you could see the math formulas and have the illustrations right in the text.

What did you like best about this story?

There is lots of cutting edge science with a good summary and analysis of the achievements of the late 19th and 20th Centuries. It discusses the physics of time better than most books.

Any additional comments?

The book goes completely off the rails when it leaves science and goes into philosophy. The author uses quantum mechanics as a starting place to argue for the existence of the soul and free will. I found the arguments very unpersuasive and, frankly, resented having to slog through them to get to the conclusion. This part has no place in a book that is marketed as being about science.

Took courage to write

Well written and thought provoking. Muller’s honest beliefs cause others to pause, but I found them heartfelt and refreshing.