When physicists and others construct models to explain the phenomena and laws of nature, do those models actually simulate what's really out there in the world, or do they only synthesize the way we think the world is? And how does our cultural upbringing affect the way we think about the world? In this far-reaching and penetrating book, two world-class physicists, one born and raised in the West, the other in the Far East, examine these and many other intriguing questions not yet resolved by modern scientists. - Back cover.