Now
The Physics of Time - and the Ephemeral Moment That Einstein Could Not Explain
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Now
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Narrated by:
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Christopher Grove
About this listen
“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)
What listeners say about Now
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- JHB
- 14-02-24
Wild!
The author just knows we have a soul. Nothing can convince him otherwise! Intuition based epistemology is not why I bought this book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alison
- 27-01-21
Fantastic and inspiring
Fundamentally moved my understanding of the world with profound understated and deeply thoughtful writing. A lifetime of wisdom! Fabulous!
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Samuel
- 05-01-17
ok
some clear and well written passages, but not throughout! was hoping for more! on to the next
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alexander Marinov
- 28-10-16
cute
interesting story far connected to science and reality.
worthy listen it at least once. enjoy. learn and study
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- NRivere
- 16-01-17
Incredible story and explanations.
Great food for thought and very complete.
Diagrams in Pdf.. But where is pdf? NO reference on where to get it
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Kunde
- 02-12-16
Physicist is incompetent philosopher
Finishing this book was arduous.
The taxing condescending tone doesn't help the incompetent philosophy.
This book is about 5% interesting physics. The rest is wikipedia level introductory material and religious and political propaganda argued for without any understanding of the philosophical subjects involved.
This book would never pass peer review. Not that it has to.
Muller also rants about scientific metaphors using natural language terms, yet transgresses more on that front in this very volume than most.
May make an interesting read for fans of Chopra, otherwise avoid at all costs.
Terribly damaging to the intended audience, American High School students, this unclear mess is best forgotten about.
I suggest you wait for more papers on the actual theory being proposed - ephemerality as another horizon of expanding spacetime, the physics are truly interesting.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Michael Villemoes Larsen
- 16-09-17
Good start but bad end
Wery good in the first parts, but gets pseudo religious in the end. Thats a turn off, and the reasoning behind the theory of Now is just an opinion.
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2 people found this helpful