In Search of Now

A superb, illuminating book that will change the way you think about the present moment – CLAUDIA HAMMONDIn this profound and brilliant treatise on the nature of reality, Marchant asks the greatest question: what does it mean to exist? The answer brings a dazzling exploration of science and philosophy, from consciousness to quarks, illuminating our embodied experience within the grandeur of an unfolding unfeeling Universe. A phenomenal, wonderful, ambitious work that won’t just shift your perspective but rather catapult it into another dimension – GAIA VINCEIn clear and engaging prose, Jo Marchant guides us through the maze that intertwines our notions of time, causality, identity, and reality - and points us in the direction of a new reframing. In Search of Now is a splendid example of the best sort of synthetic thinking and writing – ALICIA JUARREROThe present moment is all we ever experience, but what does ‘now’ actually mean? In this tour-de-force of science writing, Jo Marchant explains how the answer to that question takes in everything from the innermost workings of our minds to the limits of space and time. Profound, lively and accessible, it will leave you thinking for much longer than a moment – SUMIT PAUL-CHOUDHURYI came to In Search of Now with high expectations, and they were happily exceeded. Fuelled by the deceptively simple question ‘What is now?’ Jo Marchant proves to be a captivating guide through the slippery terrain of consciousness, illuminating both the limits and potentials of the human experience. This fascinating book will leave readers wiser after every turn of the page – SUSANNAH CAHALANWe are intimately familiar with Now, indeed everything we experience is embedded in it. And yet it is a mystery. In this illuminating new book, Jo Marchant takes us on a marvellous personal and scientific voyage into this mystery – DEAN BUONOMANOEffortlessly weaving together fascinating insights from physics, philosophy and neuroscience, In Search of Now is an engrossing and thought-provoking exploration of the most mysterious, and most precious, of all things: our ever-changing moment-to-moment experience – KIERAN FOXWhat could be better for the present moment than Jo Marchant’s book! But I won’t speak of ‘now’ in the singular as she does in her title, for the book’s overpowering message is that the world is a living community of nows. I’ve been studying the subject in the narrow context of quantum theory for 30 years, never realising that I lacked a general education for what I most wanted to know. Reading this book took me back to school, and I loved every minute of it! – CHRISTOPHER FUCHSThis is a proper safari of science: from Amazonians with no word for time, to Apollo astronauts staring at the infinite, Jo Marchant’s new book that will change the way you think about flow of time and the passing of every moment – KEVIN FONGPraise for Jo Marchant: ’[Marchant] has chosen very moving characters to show us the importance of the research … and she has an equal flair for finding inspirational figures … the studies are irresistible * * New York Times * *

Dr Jo Marchant is an award-winning science journalist whose writing explores our place in the universe, from the mind-body connection to the inspirational power of the night sky. Her other books include Decoding the Heavens, The Human Cosmos, and the New York Times bestseller Cure: A journey into the science of mind over body, which was shortlisted for the Royal Society Prize for Science Books and longlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize. She presented the acclaimed BBC Radio 4 series More Wow, investigating the life-changing emotion of awe. She has worked as a senior editor at New Scientist and Nature, and her articles have appeared in publications including Smithsonian, the Guardian, Economist and New York Times. She has a PhD in genetics.