Physics
<p ><b>Physics</b> (from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek" title="Ancient Greek" >Ancient Greek</a>: φύσις <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physis" title="Physis" >physis</a></i> "nature") is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_science" title="Natural science" >natural science</a> that involves the study of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matter" title="Matter" >matter</a><sup id="cite_ref-feynman_0-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-feynman-0" >[1]</a></sup> and its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_(physics)" title="Motion (physics)" >motion</a> through <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacetime" title="Spacetime" >spacetime</a>, along with related concepts such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy" title="Energy" >energy</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force" title="Force" >force</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-1" >[2]</a></sup> More broadly, it is the general analysis of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature" title="Nature" >nature</a>, conducted in order to understand how the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universe" title="Universe" >universe</a> behaves.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-2" >[3]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-3" >[4]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-4" >[5]</a></sup></p>
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Physics is one of the oldest <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_discipline" title="Academic discipline" >academic disciplines</a>, perhaps the oldest through its inclusion of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomy" title="Astronomy" >astronomy</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-5" >[6]</a></sup> Over the last two millennia, physics was a part of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_philosophy" title="Natural philosophy" >natural philosophy</a> along with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemistry" title="Chemistry" >chemistry</a>, certain branches of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematics" title="Mathematics" >mathematics</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biology" title="Biology" >biology</a>, but during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_Revolution" title="Scientific Revolution" class="mw-redirect" >Scientific Revolution</a> in the 16th century, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_science" title="Natural science" >natural sciences</a> emerged as unique research programs in their own right.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-6" >[7]</a></sup> Physics intersects with many<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interdisciplinary" title="Interdisciplinary" class="mw-redirect" >interdisciplinary</a> areas of research, such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biophysics" title="Biophysics" >biophysics</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_chemistry" title="Quantum chemistry" >quantum chemistry</a>, and the boundaries of physics are not <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demarcation_problem" title="Demarcation problem" >rigidly defined</a>. New ideas in physics often explain the fundamental mechanisms of other sciences, while opening new avenues of research in areas such as mathematics and philosophy.
Physics also makes significant contributions through advances in new <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology" title="Technology" >technologies</a>that arise from theoretical breakthroughs. For example, advances in the understanding of<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetism" title="Electromagnetism" >electromagnetism</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_physics" title="Nuclear physics" >nuclear physics</a> led directly to the development of new products which have dramatically transformed modern-day society, such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television" title="Television" >television</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer" title="Computer" >computers</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_appliance" title="Domestic appliance" class="mw-redirect" >domestic appliances</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapon" title="Nuclear weapon" >nuclear weapons</a>; advances in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermodynamics" title="Thermodynamics" >thermodynamics</a> led to the development of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrialization" title="Industrialization" class="mw-redirect" >industrialization</a>; and advances in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanics" title="Mechanics" >mechanics</a> inspired the development of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calculus" title="Calculus" >calculus</a>.</p>