We're all a little quark-y.



Above: artistic representation of a photon spreading through a quark, transferring energy that the quark then uses to replicate itself.



If you've ever opened a chemistry book, or even watched one of those guilty-pleasure apocalyptic conspiracy programs on Discovery Channel, then you know that all living things are composed of atoms, and within these atoms exist a trio of subatomic particles: the negatively charged electrons that orbit in individual pathways around the nucleus that contains the much more dense proton (+) and neutron (~) particles.

"A neutron walks into a bar, walks up to the bartender and orders a drink. The bartender, as the neutron reaches for his wallet, stops  the neutron and says: 'For you, no charge.'"

However, it does not stop there. Recently, in the past 50 years, scientists have been able to identify what are called quarks: infinitely small quanta which are bound by energy and, along with leptons and bosons, create every hadron (or subatomic particle composed of one or more of the three quantae) known to man. There exist, as far as research shows, six types of quarks: up, down, strange, charm, top and bottom. The most common are the up and down quarks, which are found bound together in protons. Quarks are classified according to color, charge, mass and spin, and are never found alone (and, thus, have never been studied outside the limits of the hadrons they compose).


But why is this important? Well, these quantas not only explain atomic matter, but also the energy levels of photons and wave-dualism, fundamental components of relativity that ultimately attempt to explain the vast, complex and unique universal womb we are carried in. Many gravitational and universal theories have been quantified from these discoveries, such as Everett's multi-verse theory (also known as parallel dimensionalism) and, most recently, the universal string theory. Mankind, after centuries of struggling with our identities, is finally on the brink of understanding who we are, and where we come from. And the fact that we can come so close to the meaning of  the true nature of our existence is, in a word, AMAZING.


Of course, there are many other elements to particle physics (heh) and quarks, but for the beginner, I highly recommend Hank Green's (musician, contemporary artisan, and environmental activist) didactic music video, very appropriately titled Strange Charm: A Song About Quarks, to understand the basics of these quark-y particles.

"What did the duck say to the particle physicist?"
"Quark!"
Alright, I admit it, that one was bad.
-M

FAILURE IS FANTASTIC.

Now that is one good alliteration. Did you know that alliterations can significantly improve one's memory(studies showing it reduces reaction time 110 milliseconds from a sentence using no alliteration)? No? Well, here you go:

ALL ALLITERATIONS ARE APPLICABLE AND AWESOME

This post is not about alliterations, though. No, it's about failure, because failure is, in fact, fantastic. Failure humbles and inspires us, challenging to grow and evolve in order prepare ourselves for great success--I'm sure you are already aware of this. What you may not be aware of, though, are the thousands of incredibly talented and successful people who failed A LOT. Michael Jordan, for instance,---he was cut from his high school basketball team. Enrico Caruso's music teacher told him he had no voice and could not sing (his parents wanted him to become an engineer). And let's not even talk about how many times Abraham Lincoln failed before finally becoming the 16th president of the United States. Failure happens to everyone, what matters is whether or not we let it defeat us.

So, let's celebrate the persevering, because they're truly remarkable...and because their failures make us feel better about ourselves.

FAILURES:

Winston Churchill failed sixth grade. He was subsequently defeated in every election for public office until he became Prime Minister at the age of 62. He later wrote, "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never, Never, Never, Never give up." (his capitals, mind you)


Sigmund Freud was booed from the podium when he first presented his ideas to the scientific community of Europe. He returned to his office and kept on writing.
 
Charles Darwin gave up a medical career and was told by his father, "You care for nothing but shooting, dogs and rat catching." In his autobiography, Darwin wrote, "I was considered by all my masters and my father, a very ordinary boy, rather below the common standard of intellect." Clearly, he evolved.
 
Thomas Edison's teachers said he was "too stupid to learn anything." He was fired from his first two jobs for being "non-productive." As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?" Edison replied, "I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps."
 
Albert Einstein did not speak until he was 4-years-old and did not read until he was 7. His parents thought he was "sub-normal," and one of his teachers described him as "mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in foolish dreams." He was expelled from school and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School. He did eventually learn to speak and read. Even to do a little math.
 
Louis Pasteur was only a mediocre pupil in undergraduate studies and ranked 15th out of 22 students in chemistry.
 
 Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas." He went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland. In fact, the proposed park was rejected by the city of Anaheim on the grounds that it would only attract riffraff.
 
After Fred Astaire's first screen test, the memo from the testing director of MGM, dated 1933, read, "Can't act. Can't sing. Slightly bald. Can dance a little."
 
In 1944, Emmeline Snively, director of the Blue Book Modeling Agency, told modeling hopeful Norma Jean Baker, "You'd better learn secretarial work or else get married." I'm sure you know that Norma Jean was Marilyn Monroe.
 
 In 1954, Jimmy Denny, manager of the Grand Ole Opry, fired Elvis Presley after one performance. He told Presley, "You ain't goin' nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin' a truck."
 
Beethoven handled the violin awkwardly and preferred playing his own compositions instead of improving his technique. His teacher called him "hopeless as a composer." And, of course, you know that he wrote five of his greatest symphonies while completely deaf.
 
Van Gogh sold only one painting during his life. And this to the sister of one of his friends for 400 francs (approximately $50). This didn't stop him from completing over 800 paintings.
 
 Leo Tolstoy flunked out of college. He was described as both "unable and unwilling to learn."
 
 William Saroyan accumulated more than a thousand rejections before he had his first literary piece published.
(All information taken from: http://www.des.emory.edu/mfp/efficacynotgiveup.html)
 
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
-Marianne Williamson
 
Failure, we salute you.
-M