Physics was not always a separate and distinct discipline. It remains connected to other sciences to this day. The word physicscomes from Greek, meaning nature. The study of nature came to be called “natural philosophy.” From ancient times through the Renaissance, natural philosophy encompassed many fields, including astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and medicine.
This piece of history I found really interesting, because I didn't make the connection between physics and studying the natural world. It might seem silly not to make this connection, but when I imagine studying physics, my mind goes to studying acceleration, how fast planets are moving, and understanding the laws of gravity. These are obviously connected to nature, but not in the way my mind would associate it to be. It is also intriguing that physics was originally called "natural philosophy," which, for some reason, is such a pleasant and poetic way to describe the type of science. It also has a personifying effect on nature itself, like nature is a being that has ideas and philosophies about how the world works and revolves. I will, from now on, think of physics as the study of nature's own philosophy.