Physics is written in the language of mathematics, and its findings are based on thousands of experiments. But what kind of picture does physics paint of the world? What do theories like relativity or quantum mechanics contribute to it? How complete is this picture? This book sheds light on how the "things" these theories are about relate to our everyday things, and points out what questions remain unanswered and what problems are involved.

In this book, the author presents how physics works, what it can and cannot do. In doing so, he describes the surprising answers that physics provides to many of our questions about the nature of "things" and the world; answers that present many a challenge to our intuition.

Jan-Markus Schwindt studied physics and mathematics in Heidelberg and Cambridge and received his PhD in theoretical physics in Heidelberg. He then worked for four years in research and teaching as a research associate at the Universities of Mainz and Heidelberg with research interests in cosmology and quantum gravity.