What word can refer to a soft, creamy European cheese, or to the fundamental units of matter, smaller than an electrons (as surmised by scientists).

It's not often that cutting-edge particle physics finds its terminology in a complex work of Irish literature, but that's exactly what happened here. In 1964, physicist Murray Gell-Mann was developing his theory on the fundamental particles that make up protons and neutrons. He needed a name for them and stumbled upon the line "Three quarks for Muster Mark!" in James Joyce's novel *Finnegans Wake*. The name stuck, not only for its sound but because protons and neutrons are, in fact, each made of a trio of these particles.

Long before this term described the subatomic world, however, it had a much more down-to-earth meaning in European kitchens. The word, taken directly from German, refers to a type of fresh, soft, un-aged cheese. It is made by warming soured milk until it curdles and is popular across Germany, Austria, and many Slavic nations. With a creamy texture similar to ricotta or thick yogurt, it is a versatile food used in both sweet and savory dishes.

So, while one version is a cornerstone of the Standard Model of particle physics, the other is a cornerstone of a delicious cheesecake. It was the humble dairy product that gave its name to one of the most fundamental components of our universe.