Origins of the Quark Model

Abstract

An intellectual history of the quark model prior to February 1964 is presented. Aspects of this history are best summarized by a parable: Man asked God for a riddle, and God obliged: "What is green, hangs from a tree, and sings?" This, of course, was a very difficult question. So man asked God for the answer, and God replied: "A herring!" "A herring? But why is it green?" "Because I painted it green." "But why does it hang from a tree?" "Because I put it there. " "And why does it sing?" "If it didn't sing you would have guessed it was a herring."

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