&gt;Whereas in physics, we don&#x27;t understand the most basic elements<p>I think he&#x27;s saying we fully understand &#x27;the most basic elements&#x27; in so far how they underpin the &#x27;domain of everyday life&#x27;. It&#x27;s a little like saying that the underlying physics behind the motion of bilard balls are completely understood with just Newtonian mechanics, even though Newtonian mechanics themselves are incomplete if applied to other domains - like explaining the motion of the planet Mercury.