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Your Brain Is a Time Machine: The Neuroscience and Physics of Time

by Dean Buonomano (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 507 ratings
Editors' pick Best Nonfiction
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A leading neuroscientist embarks on a groundbreaking exploration of how time works inside the brain.

In Your Brain Is a Time Machine, brain researcher and best-selling author Dean Buonomano draws on evolutionary biology, physics, and philosophy to present his influential theory of how we tell, and perceive, time. The human brain, he argues, is a complex system that not only tells time but creates it; it constructs our sense of chronological flow and enables “mental time travel”―simulations of future and past events. These functions are essential not only to our daily lives but to the evolution of the human race: without the ability to anticipate the future, mankind would never have crafted tools or invented agriculture. The brain was designed to navigate our continuously changing world by predicting what will happen and when.

Buonomano combines neuroscience expertise with a far-ranging, multidisciplinary approach. With engaging style, he illuminates such concepts as consciousness, spacetime, and relativity while addressing profound questions that have long occupied scientists and philosophers alike: What is time? Is our sense of time’s passage an illusion? Does free will exist, or is the future predetermined? In pursuing the answers, Buonomano reveals as much about the fascinating architecture of the human brain as he does about the intricacies of time itself. This virtuosic work of popular science leads to an astonishing realization: your brain is, at its core, a time machine.

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  1. ISBN-10
    0393247945
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0393247947
  3. Publisher
    W. W. Norton & Company
  4. Publication date
    April 4, 2017
  5. Language
    English
  6. Dimensions
    6.4 x 1.2 x 9.6 inches
  7. Print length
    304 pages
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Apparently elastic and possibly illusory, time is a puzzle to physicists and neuroscientists alike. Dean Buonomano straddles the divide, invoking cutting-edge theory and research as he wrestles with theoften glaring mismatch between physical and 'felt' time. The result is immensely engaging.
Nature

Buonomano lays out a wealth of complex concepts in an entertaining,digestible way. He admits that both physics and neuroscience are stillfar from understanding the true nature of time, but his book will makeyou question your own perceptions and marvel at the fact that your brain is probably "the best time machine you will ever own".
Diana Kwon,Scientific American Mind

Your Brain Is a Time Machine can be disquieting, as the implications settle in, for example, of inhabiting a universe in which all moments exist. But the book ultimately leads to an internal quieting, as one realises that all the profound scientific discoveries of the past century or so are struggling with a common enemy: time.
Anil Ananthaswamy, New Scientist

Mr. Buonomano sets out boldly to accomplish what Saint Augustine did not dare--to explain time in its infinite varieties.
Carol Tavris, Wall Street Journal

About the Author

Dean Buonomano is a professor of neurobiology and psychology at UCLA and a leading theorist on the neuroscience of time. His previous book, Brain Bugs: How the Brain’s Flaws Shape Our Lives, was a Wall Street Journal bestseller.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company (April 4, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393247945
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393247947
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.4 x 1.2 x 9.6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 507 ratings

About the author

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Dean Buonomano

Dean Buonomano

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Dean Buonomano (@DeanBuono) is a neuroscientist at UCLA, and a leading researcher on the neuroscience of time. His first book, Brain Bugs: How the Brain’s Flaws Shape Our Lives, was a Wall Street Journal bestseller.

Buonomano has been interviewed about his research on timing and neural computation for Newsweek, Discover Magazine, Scientific American, Los Angeles Times, The Scientist, and The New Yorker.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
507 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and informative. They appreciate the clear, concise language without technical jargon. The book explores the complex concept of time and its relationship to the brain.

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ReadabilityBrevityInterestTime complexity
18 customers mention "Readability"18 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They say it's a solid, comprehensive, and well-written book that makes quantum mechanics accessible to a layperson. The book is also praised as a must-read for psychology majors.

"Very interesting read!" Read more

"This is a very good book about a central question in physics, philosophy and psychology...." Read more

"...The author explores in detail both issues in a very comprehensive book...." Read more

"This fascinating book should be required reading for anyone who has grappled with quantum mechanics and the block universe theory...." Read more

14 customers mention "Brevity"11 positive3 negative

Customers find the book's language clear and concise without technical jargon. They appreciate the comprehensive description of Einstein's theory and the author's ability to make the concept accessible to lay readers. The book is described as an easy read.

"...The author does a fine job of explaining the current states of knowledge in terms I can understand as a layman and also leaving many of the deep..." Read more

"...Regardless, he manages to explain a very complex topic in as clear a way as possible. But the brain, what a mess!" Read more

"...The language is clear and concise without technical jargon, and the author manages to make it read like an unputdownable mystery...." Read more

"This is a well written, pleasant and easy read, dealing with a subject that is complex and ill understood The description of time as a subject in..." Read more

14 customers mention "Interest"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting and informative. They appreciate its exploration of neuroscience, biology, and time. The book provides a decent overview and an introspective view on the multi-dimensional scope of the brain.

"...a very good book about a central question in physics, philosophy and psychology...." Read more

"...but...the later chapters did indeed pay off. a decent take on the subject" Read more

"...If you have never thought about time, you will appreciate the grand overview." Read more

"An informative and sometimes exasperating book on a difficult topic: WHAT IS TIME?..." Read more

4 customers mention "Time complexity"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book helpful for understanding the concept of time. They appreciate its discussion of time perception and physics, as well as its explanations of space-time dependencies and the relationship between the brain and time.

"Discusses the complexity of the concept of time and possible explanations taken from the worlds of neurobiology--studies of the brain in..." Read more

"...in various time scales, and their influence, to time perception and time in Physics. Do not expect to understand time itself better...." Read more

"Seminal work on Time and Brain relationship..." Read more

"Great time - space dependencies explained...." Read more

Strong on Neuroscience and Physics, Weak on Context of Philosophy, Psychology, and Culture
3 out of 5 stars
Strong on Neuroscience and Physics, Weak on Context of Philosophy, Psychology, and Culture
This book is interesting as far as it goes, but given the expansive nature of the subject, it doesn't go nearly far enough. The author relies heavily on neurology, experimental psychology, and physics, and the limited scope of this perspective becomes apparent early on, when he asserts that the only adaptive value of time comes from the ability to predict the future accurately. Psychologically and socially, perceptions of time have many other adaptive functions, such as the formation and maintenance of individual and collective identity. Studies of constructions of time in such areas are available, but Buonomano's work does not consider them. The author also fails to consider widely reported differences as to the character of time. He takes great care to document the foundations of the perception of chronological time, but doesn't get into much detail about the experience of non-chronological time, that which anthropologists refer to as liminal, and which the ancient Greeks named Kairos. Though the author notes distortions and errors in the perception of time, he fails to adequately consider the adaptive characteristics of this kind of experience of time-outside-of-time.What's more, this book's considerations of the eternal block universe failed to deal with the possibility of branching versions of reality as a way to consider a quantum role in the development of free will - a weakness that became especially apparent in the final chapter. The discussion of morality in a predetermined universe flopped as the author failed to grasp the difference between a universe of true responsibility and one in which there is only a feeling of choice.This book is a welcome opening of a fascinating topic. It doesn't fulfill its promise of a bridge between scientific disciplines and philosophy, however, because it lacks adequate grounding outside of experimental science.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Brooke
    5.0 out of 5 stars Bought as a gift for a birthday.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Very interesting read!
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  • In the Sticks
    4.0 out of 5 stars It’s a question, not an answer
    Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This is a very good book about a central question in physics, philosophy and psychology. The author does a fine job of explaining the current states of knowledge in terms I can understand as a layman and also leaving many of the deep mysteries well-defined but unsolved.

    I have read a lot on the subject and this book is an excellent overview. It is humbling to remember that there may be limits to our actual ability to understand some phenomena and laws of the universe.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Marc
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating exploration of the brain and time
    Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    How we perceive time and what is time anyway? The author explores in detail both issues in a very comprehensive book. However, despite the author's best efforts to make the subject approachable, it still feels overly technical at times. Regardless, he manages to explain a very complex topic in as clear a way as possible. But the brain, what a mess!
    3 people found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Don
    5.0 out of 5 stars Time to think about time
    Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This fascinating book should be required reading for anyone who has grappled with quantum mechanics and the block universe theory. How can time exist all in the same realm? Is this an issue of perception for humans to exist? Or is it that the theories of relativity and spaces time are just figments of our brains? I am not smart enough to fully comprehend the mathematics of it all. And the reader does not need to be. The concepts in the book are serious pause for all us humans who must navigate our individual concepts of time. Presentism or eternalism. You decide.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Kevin
    4.0 out of 5 stars a solid read
    Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    a good solid read on the subject, but i admit when authors use "...as i will explain in later chapters" ugh! once is acceptable, but more than that is annoying. this became annoying
    but...the later chapters did indeed pay off. a decent take on the subject
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  • Matt
    3.0 out of 5 stars You may have heard it all before...
    Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Unfortunately, this book is unfocused. Time is such a ubiquitous topic that it comes up in almost every discipline—and the author tries to cover them all in this book. From evolution to relativity to free will. If you read 1-2 pop-sci books a year, maybe you will enjoy this. However, if you consider yourself well read, get ready to hear a bunch of stuff you’ve heard before. The book is a missed opportunity to dig into the nuances of time and neuroscience, and instead, just grazes the surface, ultimately leaving the reader with a pile of tidbits that lack depth. If you have never thought about time, you will appreciate the grand overview.
    23 people found this helpful
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  • Tom
    5.0 out of 5 stars Seminal work on Time and Brain relationship
    Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Not since I read R. Dawkins "Selfish Gene," have I enjoyed a nonfiction book as much as this one. The language is clear and concise without technical jargon, and the author manages to make it read like an unputdownable mystery. The ideas expressed in this book gave me a whole new view on where life and science is today and where they are headed.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • L. Maleki
    5.0 out of 5 stars Masterful presentation of a fundamentally difficult concept.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This is a well written, pleasant and easy read, dealing with a subject that is complex and ill understood The description of time as a subject in physics and philosophy is challenging enough, but the author manages to wrap it all with psychology and neuroscience of the brain to produce a clear account. The style of writing is erudite, and pleasing at the same time.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • oscar.manzo.c
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente libro
    Reviewed in Mexico on February 10, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Gran libro, cambia en gran manera la conceptualización del paso del tiempo.
    Te anima a indagar más en el tema.
    Lo volveré a leer.
    Report
  • X
    5.0 out of 5 stars Curioso
    Reviewed in Spain on March 27, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Explica de forma amena conceptos complejos, acercando la física a las neurociencias. Abarca temas que en una formación normal de neuropsicología/neurología ni se nombran, como lo puede ser la "sensación" del paso del tiempo o la "pérdida" de la noción del tiempo que ocurre en algunas patologías.
    Report
  • Chris Haines
    5.0 out of 5 stars Its a heavy but fascinating read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 1, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I am 80% through this, and have really enjoyed it. I like physics, and am fascinated by the lack of definition of time, so this was a nice foray into the brain science aspect of it.
    Report
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Blow your mind
    Reviewed in Canada on July 8, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Great book. Well written
    Report
  • stavros
    5.0 out of 5 stars Un livre unique
    Reviewed in France on June 11, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    J'ai longtemts cherché pour un tel livre. Il present les dernier recherche sur le domain des neuroscience.
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