
Now
The Physics of Time - and the Ephemeral Moment That Einstein Could Not Explain
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Narrated by:
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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' longest-standing enigmas.
Includes a PDF of Images from the book.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2016 Richard A. Muller (P)2016 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...




















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)
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Bewildering, mind blowing, ultimately enlightening
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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.
No. Sorry, Just No
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Extremely informative....
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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".
Great insights in real physics; some "metaphysics"
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Excellent and accessible review of modern physics
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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.
No answers
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What did you love best about Now?
A great summary of the history as well as the latest thinking about time and physics. GreatBEST PHYSICS BOOK I HAVE READ
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For example, in the latter part of the book the author starts discussing about soul and makes a point that he feels that he certainly has a soul though he is not sure about other animals. I have just one question for the author - if we have something like soul which other animals don't have , at what point during evolution did we develop it? Every cell in our body is a living thing , so does it mean that your soul is divided among trillions of cells?
Despite its flaws the book does shine in bits and pieces. Some topics have been explained well.
A book with good beginning that fizzles out in end
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Unconvincing
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Interesting and thoughtful theory on Time
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