1. It all began with the Greeks

Abstract

From consumer devices to research at the edge of the unknown, physics is woven into our daily activities, our civilization, and our highest aspirations. It is a foundational science that is massively supported by society and underpins other science and technology. ‘It all began with the Greeks’ considers the history of physics from the minds of early Greek thinkers who wanted to understand the world around them to today’s intricate theories and apparatus. It discusses how through processes of observation, recording, experimentation, and analysis over millennia in different nations and cultures, modern physics has evolved, and highlights some of the key stages of that evolution.