The highly nonlinear interaction between intense femtosecond laser pulses and matter permits measurement and control of electrons, atoms, molecules, solids and light — perhaps even atomic nuclei. Paul Corkum has pioneered many of the concepts that underlie this new physics. Most spectacularly, he has shown that controlling laser light controls the nonlinear light–matter interaction, permitting attosecond optical and electron pulses to form. He has used the electron pulses to make the fastest ‘real-time’ measurements ever recorded and combined them with sub-0.1-angstrom spatial resolution. This new technology will allow simultaneous measurements at the fundamental space and time scale of matter.