Rick, at age five I decided that certain things were unknowable. I couldn't conceive of eternity, infinity, a universe that was endless, or one had an end, because what was outside of it? Certain questions have no answers. It's beyond our understanding. Still, the questioning is fascinating, isn't it?

I recall asking my mother about heaven, because I was scared of being dead for eternity, at age five. She said Yes, there were swimming pools in heaven. It was comforting when she lied to me, but I remember thinking, Does she really think I believe this stuff? I knew none of it was true, but it was still comforting to have her comfort me.

Maybe our seeking answers is comforting to us.

I saw part of a NOVA show about parallel universes and Membrane Theory, which I'd never heard of before. Very interesting. Here's the transcript:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon...unitrans.shtml