In this report we discuss some results of non--commutative (quantum) probability theory relating the various notions of statistical independence and the associated quantum central limit theorems to different aspects of mathematics and physics including: $q$--deformed and free central limit theorems; the description of the master (i.e. central limit) field in matrix models along the recent Singer suggestion to relate it to Voiculescu's results on the freeness of the large $N$ limit of random matrices; quantum stochastic differential equations for the gauge master field in QCD; the theory of stochastic limits of quantum fields and its applications to stochastic bosonization of Fermi fields in any dimensions; new structures in QED such as a...