Alexander Stuart

Hudson asked me this morning what is the smallest thing in the world. We had already discussed atoms and protons, neutrons and electrons, so I told him that I thought quarks were still the smallest. Hudson thought I said corks:) I tried (valiantly, I thought) to explain that quarks are tiny particles of matter that cannot exist on their own - we have already watched a very cool cartoon in which an animated atom explains that it is indivisible , even though it has electrons z ipping around its core of protons and neutrons. I then found this wonderful - and very catchy - song about quarks , which both Hudson and Paradise love listening to. I think it's quite an achievement to make quarks fun! (WARNING: there is one expletive in Hank's spoken intro to the song and a link at the very end of the video that is unsuitable for children.) The chorus, for those who know as much about quarks as me, names the different types of quark: Up/Down, Charm/Strange and T