  An outstanding open issue in our quest for physics beyond Einstein is the
unification of general relativity (GR) and quantum physics. Loop quantum
gravity (LQG) is a leading approach toward this goal. At its heart is the
central lesson of GR: Gravity is a manifestation of spacetime geometry. Thus,
the approach emphasizes the quantum nature of geometry and focuses on its
implications in extreme regimes -- near the big bang and inside black holes --
where Einstein's smooth continuum breaks down. We present a brief overview of
the main ideas underlying LQG and highlight a few recent advances. This report
is addressed to non-experts.
