Popular Theory

Welcome to high school,

where Darwin's Law, the survival of the fittest,

is put into practice on a daily basis.

So what?

However, in high school, just surviving is not enough.

Adolescents, made up entirely of hormones and insecurities,

yearn to prosper.

In other words, all that matters is popularity.

That's me.

Hello!

No, not her. A little lower.

That's me!

As you can see, I'm not your typical high school student.

I didn't have many friends during my childhood.

It's just that children my age didn't challenge me.

But I was happy because I had something a thousand times better.

I had the science.

That's my father.

He makes an effort, considering that he had to raise two daughters alone.

It's awful, Aunt Tammy!

Why can't I wear princess braid?

Ari, we've talked about this.

Today is Erwin's birthday!

Well, not completely alone.

Aunt Tammy is my father's older sister.

She practically takes care of everything.

There must be a lot of... traffic?

Nobody's coming to this nerd party, Dad.

Ari!

How about we open some presents?

"Erwin."

That's my name!

Your mother gave you that name because of him.

He was her favorite scientist.

I was cleaning out her office and I thought it should be yours.

Wow!

Still, a small one,

insignificant and microscopic part of me felt that something was...

I don't know, missing?

Ari, can I come too?

No way, nerd. Go fill Aunt Tammy in.

Jacob.

Ari.

Will.

Sam.

- Carol. - Lily.

-Sarah -Mike.

Jenna.

You choose last.

- Is your little sister good? - How would I know?

But is she better than Dennis the Disaster?

Ari's little sister, are you good?

It seems to be a simple matter

to apply centrifugal force and speed to the ball,

as well as speed and agility.

All this forms the following equation:

F equals MN,

where F is the friction force,

N is the normal force exerted on the ball

and M is the coefficient of friction.

Basic mathematics.

But to give you the exact distance...

I choose Dennis.

Yay!

So that's how I spent my early years:

happily alone in a bubble that I had created myself.

Well, until I did

the greatest scientific discovery of the 21st century.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Hey!

All right, let's choose the teams.

Yes, Erwin, you can go to the bank.

Kimber said that Charlie was looking at me at lunch.

I was sitting in front of the pizza cart.

Wait a minute. Charlie Jacobs?

- Isn't he dating Courtney S.? - They broke up last week.

It must be because of that horrible coloring.

- Look, darling, if you left me... - Never!

You know best. Erwin, how was your day?

And then Amanda had an epic fight with Tim and they broke up!

Again.

- Again? - Again!

- What's wrong with these two? - Amanda does it to get attention.

Then Kimber and I spent the break treating her like an asshole.

Erwin, have you spoken to anyone today?

- You'd think so. - Erwin.

I asked my aunt at the canteen if there were peanuts in the meat sauce.

She said no.

SCIENTIST AT WORK

This is our big day.

The science fair is in a few weeks.

So time is short.

Are you with me?

Well done!

THE PERFECT JAM SANDWICH AND PEANUT BUTTER

CREAMINESS COEFFICIENT

Look...

without wanting to apportion blame,

but it was you who suggested that we use

an irrational polynomial equation.

You know what? I can't talk to you like this!

I think we'd better take a break.

Children who talk to posters...

"Helping the antisocial child", by Dr. Lorne Schmeigle.

Talking about the antisocial child...

Guys, we have a new student today.

Winston, why don't you tell something about yourself?

There's not much to tell. I'm 13, I like chemistry.

Good to know. Well done! Let's bring Winston up to speed.

Who can tell me the difference between covalent and ionic bonds?

It'll be fun. A healthy competition. I like it.

Let's listen to Winston.

In covalent bonding, electrons are shared,

while in an ionic bond, the electrons are transferred.

It's an incredible thing.

It all comes down to the interaction of subatomic particles.

Well done, Winston. Yes, young lady.

Technically, an electron is a particle and a wave at the same time.

- The Schrödinger equation explains that... - Here it goes again.

That's all right. That's enough.

Schrödinger's equation is dated.

What kind of shoddy science is being done here?

At least I'm not obsessed with rudimentary art

mixing elements to form a reaction!

Are you talking about chemistry? The basis of all science!

Come on! Chemistry is the big black sheep of the scientific community.

No offense intended.

According to Ernest Rutherford, "all science is physics or philately."

Ari.

Isn't she your sister?

Right. Hold on, hold on, guys.

I have great news.

I just found out

that the winner of this year's this year

will be invited to participate

elite science program program.

I know, it's a great opportunity,

and there are only three weeks left, we have to speed up.

You are dismissed.

Well done. Quickly.

Thanks, guys.

You're 13 years old. Did you skip three grades?

- And you? - Four.

IQ?

It's 142. What about you?

Priceless.

The SIT scholarship is mine. You know that, don't you?

Well, it's like Ms. Idle said,

healthy competition doesn't hurt anyone.

Competition?

Well, that's thought-provoking.

Did you know there's cake in the canteen?

You won't believe what...

I know it sounds mean, but we just want to help you.

Stealing my things?

What is this? A dictatorship? Don't I have rights?

Your Aunt Tammy thinks that...

Your aunt Tammy and I found

that maybe you're too lonely.

It's not healthy at your age.

It's like a carburetor without a sealing ring.

Petrol leaks everywhere.

What?

What your father is trying to say in his own way

it's for your own good, dear.

Maybe we should change things a little.

But I don't want to change things!

I like them as they are, as always!

You spend every afternoon

and every weekend locked in her room, alone.

That's not normal.

- Tammy. - Tammy: What? It's not.

Just for a little while, then,

no science.

The state science fair.

There will be another one next year.

And you can do your schoolwork. Just not the extra projects.

- Exactly. - É.

So no extra science.

They know they can't stop me from doing science.

I can do science in my mind.

I'll know if I'm doing in your mind.

You're doing it now, aren't you?

Erwin, please...

I know.

I know you're right, it's drastic.

But she never talks to anyone.

Not even with us.

I wish you were here.

You'd know what to do.

I'm sorry about that. They want my good.

You're right!

Talking your way out the science fair

it's like talking to stop breathing.

I can't stop breathing.

We can't use the peanut machine.

Even if we perfect it, it still isn't...

great.

And I can't lose the SIT scholarship

for that arrogant and obnoxious charlatan.