What Makes Time Special?

By: Craig Callender

Narrated by: Ray Greenley

As we navigate through life we instinctively model time as having a flowing present that divides a fixed past from open future. This model develops in childhood and is deeply saturated within our language, thought, and behavior, affecting our conceptions of the universe, freedom, and the self. Yet as central as it is to our lives, physics seems to have no room for this flowing present. What Makes Time Special? demonstrates this claim in detail and then turns to two novel positive tasks. First, by looking at the world "sideways"—in the spatial directions—it shows that physics is not "spatializing time" as is commonly alleged. Even relativity theory makes significant distinctions between the spacelike and timelike directions, often with surprising consequences. Second, if the flowing present is an illusion, it is a deep one worthy of explanation. The author develops a picture whereby the temporal flow arises as an interaction effect between an observer and the physics of the world.

Using insights from philosophy, cognitive science, biology, psychology, and physics, the theory claims that the flowing present model of time is the natural reaction to the perceptual and evolutionary challenges thrown at us. Modeling time as flowing makes sense even if it misrepresents it.

©2017 Craig Callender (P)2023 Tantor

Mind bending in the best way

Highly recommended. Some advanced mathematical and physical concepts require either a base level of knowledge or some ongoing research as you read. For me, a non-mathematically inclined philosophy guy, it was all I could do to wrap my head around it. Well worth the effort.

not divulgative in the least

Not useful for laymen. I'm not stating that this one isn't a god book.. O the contrary. Just isn't divulgative in a clear Sean Carroll's or Brian Greene's style.
If you're not into (quite hard) mathematics, you'd be frankly wasting your time. Returned.