In Search of Now

Jo Marchant investigates the mystery of the present moment by weaving together research from physics, neuroscience, psychology and philosophy.

She examines why physicists struggle to locate a universal 'now', how the brain constructs a coherent present from delayed and noisy signals, and how different cultures and minds experience time.

The book considers interpretations of quantum physics and cognitive science that treat reality as perspectival, arguing our moments of now shape and interact with the world.

Marchant combines interviews, experiments and case studies to show how attention, prediction and memory create the rich, layered present we live in.

Ultimately, she proposes that understanding 'now' changes how we see choice, meaning and the nature of reality.