The following is an extract from our Lost in Space-Time newsletter. Each month, we hand over the keyboard to a physicist or mathematician to tell you about fascinating ideas from their corner of the universe. You can sign up for Lost in Space-Time here.

Does your workday ever include picking fights about whether empty space is actually empty or whether time is an illusion? Has a co-worker ever told you that you’ve caused them emotional pain by discussing concepts from quantum field theory? Welcome to the life of a…