In this series, I will introduce you to a handful of thinkers who have shaped the modern philosophy of time, a field now often called the philosophy of space and time. They approach the question “What is time?” from different angles: some as philosophers, others as physicists, neuroscientists, or cognitive scientists. Time refuses to stay inside one discipline, so neither will I.

The title Time Lords is offered with a wink toward Doctor Who, but the admiration is genuine. These are thinkers who have stared directly at one of the deepest puzzles in existence and tried to make sense of it.

I am not here to declare a final answer. If anything, the older I get, the less inclined I am to pretend I have one. My goal is simpler: to explore the most compelling ideas currently in play, to understand them as clearly as I can, and to share that exploration with you.

Welcome to the rabbit hole.