Claim: Stephen Hawking is a scientist.

Physics -LRB- from -LSB- φυσική , phusikḗ -LRB- epistḗmē -RRB- , knowledge of nature -RSB- , from φύσις phúsis `` nature '' -RRB- is the natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion and behavior through space and time , along with related concepts such as energy and force . One of the most fundamental scientific disciplines , the main goal of physics is to understand how the universe behaves .   Physics is one of the oldest academic disciplines , perhaps the oldest through its inclusion of astronomy . Over the last two millennia , physics was a part of natural philosophy along with chemistry , biology , and certain branches of mathematics , but during the scientific revolution in the 17th century , the natural sciences emerged as unique research programs in their own right . Physics intersects with many interdisciplinary areas of research , such as biophysics and quantum chemistry , and the boundaries of physics are not rigidly defined . 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 technologies that arise from theoretical breakthroughs . For example , advances in the understanding of electromagnetism or nuclear physics led directly to the development of new products that have dramatically transformed modern-day society , such as television , computers , domestic appliances , and nuclear weapons ; advances in thermodynamics led to the development of industrialization , and advances in mechanics inspired the development of calculus .   The United Nations named 2005 the World Year of Physics .