Physics, the fundamental science of matter and energy, encompasses all levels of nature from the sub-atomic to the cosmic, and underlies much of the technology around us. Physics: A Very Short Introduction provides an overview of how this pervasive science came to be and how it works. It presents the theories and outcomes of pure and applied physics from ideas of the Greek natural philosophers to modern quantum mechanics, cosmology, digital electronics, and energy production. Considering its most consequential experiments, including recent results in elementary particles, gravitational waves, and materials science, it also discusses the effects of physics on society, culture, and humanity’s vision of its place in the universe.