The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory

Physics is the scientific study of matter: the physical components that make up the universe and dictate the attributes and behaviors of all motion, energy, matter, and force within space and time. Physicist James Clerk Maxwell defined physics as “that department of knowledge which relates to the order of nature, or, in other words, to the regular succession of events” (Matter and Motion, 1878, 9). Physics is one of the oldest academic disciplines in human history. Some of the earliest intellectual work in recorded history in Greek, Egyptian, Chinese, and Mesopotamian cultures includes the investigation and exploration of physical matter and the attributes that make up the universe. The main endeavor of physics is to understand how and why the universe behaves the way it does.

Some important developments in physics include the move to replace the geocentric model of the solar system with the heliocentric model, proposed by Nicolaus Copernicus in 1543; Kepler’s laws of planetary motion, developed in 1609-1619; and Galileo’s groundbreaking work with telescopes and astronomy in the 17th century. The biggest early shift in physics came with Isaac Newton’s law of universal gravitation, which he developed alongside his three laws of motion in 1687. Newton’s laws of motion are as follows: