In Search of Now

The Science of the Present Moment

A mind-bending but brilliantly accessible exploration of the shifting science behind the reality of time.

What is Now? This immediate moment, what we're experiencing right now . . . it bathes us like air, or gravity. Yet when we try to grasp this quality, to scrutinize it or bring it into focus, it vanishes, slipping through our fingers like a dream. And worse, according to the most trusted models of physics, Now doesn't even exist. If all this is so, then what, exactly, are we experiencing? How do we carve out time, sensation, self, and meaning from a blank, Now-less canvas?

In In Search of Now, award-winning science writer Jo Marchant attempts to answer these questions with characteristic flair and clarity, taking us on a grand tour of the latest thinking from physics, neuroscience, cosmology, and psychiatry about the fundamental essence and individual experience of time. Part personal journey, part philosophical meditation, and above all a fascinating scientific exploration, In Search of Now shows us what we can learn about time, both from the outside in—the cosmic perspective of physics—and as we experience it, from the inside out.

©2026 Jo Marchant (P)2026 Tantor Media

"A stream of thought"

Everything happens at "now", and hence everything is related to now. but, the book doesn't seem to have a central thrme other than this trivial truth. while it touches on some basic aspects of time/now, in physics, ii is primarily focused on the psychology, neuroscience, and biology of perception of time. it is somewhat compar6to Your Brain is Time Machine, but the depth is much shallower. I often felt like I was listening to Eye and Brain (Richard Gregory) or Visual Intelligence (Donald hoffman). not much about philosophy of time.

Evocative

Though I’ve read dozens of similar or overlapping books over the years, Jo Marchant’s In Search of Now stands out. Very glad I listened. Loved her enthusiastic voice & clear elocution. She effectively presented multiple views of the physics & philosophy & psychology of her elusive subject, & was, I thought, quite fair & balanced & above all respectful in presenting the ideas of various thinkers she interviewed &/or researched. JM’s ISON gave me lots to think about, hence my review’s title. Granted, I think she had some favorite conclusions among her thoughtful samplings of a wide spectrum of points of view, but she wrote in a way that I felt free not to order the chef’s special. Spoiler Alert: If you pay attention to her caveats, the dish of the day is pretty damn good. Lots to parse here, so I’m queuing up a followup read of the hardcover. PS: I’d enjoy having a book club discussion of ISON with a select group. Like reading the book, I imagine such a gathering has the potential to be enjoyably evocative & to feel quite timeless.