ELI5: What are quantum physics?

Quantum physics is the science of how the tiniest things in nature, like atoms and electrons, behave.

Think of LEGO pieces: in everyday life, LEGO bricks sit in one exact place, but in the tiny quantum world, the pieces act a little strange and can behave more like waves of possibilities than like fixed little blocks.

• Tiny things do not always act like little balls; they can act like waves too.
• They can have only certain steps or packets of energy, like LEGO bricks that only fit in certain ways.
• Before we look, a tiny particle may be in a kind of maybe-place, not just one exact spot.
• When scientists measure it, the particle “chooses” one result, like picking one LEGO tower from many possible towers.