To the few people who believed I could do it even when I myself didn’t Acknowledgments This dissertation has been shaped by many people, including my teachers, collabo-rators, friends, and family. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the influence they have had in my development as a person and as a scientist. First and foremost, I wish to thank my advisor J Strother Moore. J is an amazing advisor, a marvellous collaborator, an insightful researcher, an empathetic teacher, and a truly great human being. He gave me just the right balance of freedom, encouragement, and direction to guide the course of this research. My stimulating discussions with him made the act of research an experience of pure enjoyment, and helped pull me...