The Origins of Time will appear in 2026. Here’s an introduction.

Time is different to the other (spatial) directions because there’s the past and the future, and we have no choice about where we are: we’re always in the present moment, physically if not mentally. The direction of time from the past to the future is called the arrow of time.

Some philosophers have argued that in some sense, time (meaning the arrow of time) is not real. But in this book, I will show that it’s very real, in an everyday sense and in a physical sense, and make it clear where it comes from. Hint: it’s not somewhere you might expect.

Our commonsense is usually correct in the normal day-to-day world in which we live. It may not be exciting, but it helps us live our lives, and “The Origins of Time,” which is written for a general audience, is all about commonsense arguments. As it turns out, they apply right out into the universe.

Along the way, the book will cover a couple of wrongish statements that Einstein made, discuss why time travel is possible and the results of my simulation of it, and explain Schrödinger’s Cat Paradox. And although it’s not strictly relevant, for fun, I’ll tell you how to photograph the future.

Finally, throughout the book, I’ll use the KISS Principle, “Keep it simple, stupid!” because as a scientist and engineer, I’ve been told by my so-called friends that I have a tendency to techno-babble. I think the new concepts in this book are important, and I want to get them across clearly. The only exceptions will be the odd footnote and two appendices.