According to quantum field theory, space is not actually empty

On the contrary, the entire universe is filled with fundamental quantum fields everywhere, and each field is associated with some kind of particle. What we call a particle, such as an electron or a photon, is actually a localized motion or a very small wave produced in its respective field.

For example, the electron field is everywhere, and electrons appear when a certain type of excitation is created in this field.

This concept explains why all particles of the same type are exactly the same, and also why interactions occur through fields rather than direct collisions. Forces arise when fields exchange energy and momentum. Even a vacuum is not completely static, but contains measurable phenomena, such as quantum fluctuations and virtual particles.

Quantum field theory unifies special relativity and quantum mechanics, and it is this theory that provides the basis for the Standard Model of particle physics.

Understanding particles as vibrations of fields radically changes the concept of matter. From this perspective, matter is not a solid object but a dynamic structure, and the most fundamental reality of the universe is a continuous, interacting, invisible network of quantum fields.