Q is for Quark
Quarks are elementary physical particles: building-blocks that combine to form the protons and neutrons that in turn make up atoms. I love the fact that the existence of quarks was inferred before there was any observational evidence for them. There are, in fact, six types or 'flavours' of quark, whose names are delightful in themselves: up, down, strange, charm, bottom and top.
The name is actually taken from James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake, in which this line appears:
Three quarks for Muster Mark!
Among other things, also a sort of cheese and, most importantly of all, a Ferengi character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Archaeopteryx Blunderbuss Chthonic Dreadnought Entropy Fulgurite Gargantua Humbucking Ichthyic Juggernaut Kappa Labyrinthine Megrim Numinous Ophidian Pandemonium Quark
Excellent Q word! I didn't know there were different types of (as I would spell it) "flavors." (:
ReplyDeleteAh, Quark is one of my favourite characters. He and Odo are such a double-act.
ReplyDeleteBehold my geekdom!
Elise - Thanks! It is strange how certain words acquire so many meanings.
ReplyDeleteHeather - Indeed, they were always fun to watch.
I liked Rom (Quark's brother)in DS9 - only cos I did feel a little sorry for him living in Quark's larger than life shadow!
ReplyDeleteTake care
x
Old Kitty - Oh yes, poor old Rom.
ReplyDeleteLove this word!
ReplyDeleteI also remember "Quark" as the name of an old cheesy Sci-Fi TV show on in the US in the late 70's.
Chris - Ooh, wasn't aware of that! I must check it out ...
ReplyDeleteYou wrote about Quarks AND James Joyce? AWESOME.
ReplyDelete