How much is infinity? OK, in what direction? There are, after all, an infinite number of directions. But let's just take the standard number line in one direction only, zero to infinity, whole integers. There you have a prime (no, no! Not the infinite list of prime numbers; just prime as in "excellent") example of infinity. Let's take half of the numbers away: take all the odd numbers away. Now how many do you have? Ah, an infinite number! In fact now you have two infinite lists of numbers!!!? Did we just double infinity? Take every third number from both list. Two more infinite lists of numbers. This is getting to be like the Wizard's assistant and all those marching broomsticks! Take every forth number from each of those lists. In fact you can do this forever and have an infinite number of infinite lists. Oh what fun.

When you do applied mathematics it gets a little different. When you go toward the very smallest division in physics you reach the Planck number. Things are so iffy here that they can exist and not exist at the same time or if they exist they exist as a probability only and can be located at any point in the Universe. String theory can possibly take us tinier still but, well, they're working on it.

In the other direction IS the Universe. Again, we don't know. This month's Astronomy Magazine has an artist's conception of what the theoretical Universe may be shaped like but again, it's just theory. Our sense amplifiers, you know, telescopes and such, are able to perceive about 13 billion light years in any one direction so that gives us a ball about 26 billion lys in diameter. The only trouble is, is that the things we see out there and their behavior leads scientists to believe there is more, much more, beyond our current ability to sense.

It is these infinities that give scientists and especially theoretical physicists fits! Too many infinities. They are all looking for the lost chord which will resolve everything and make a neat package of the whole deal. Good luck!