Star formation is a multi-scale , multi-physics problem ranging from the size scale of molecular clouds ( \sim 10 s pc ) down to the size scales of dense prestellar cores ( \sim 0.1 pc ) that are the birth sites of stars .
Several physical processes like turbulence , magnetic fields and stellar feedback , such as radiation pressure and outflows , are more or less important for different stellar masses and size scales .
During the last decade a variety of technological and computing advances have transformed our understanding of star formation through the use of multi-wavelength observations , large scale observational surveys , and multi-physics multi-dimensional numerical simulations .
Additionally , the use of synthetic observations of simulations have provided a useful tool to interpret observational data and evaluate the importance of various physical processes on different scales in star formation .
Here , we review these recent advancements in both high- ( M \lower 2.15 pt \hbox { $ \buildrel > \over { \sim } $ } 8 M _ { \odot } ) and low-mass star formation .