Great Uncle Fred, where is the edge of the universe and what`s beyond that? (Tom, Autumn 2008)

I am lucky enough to live in a part of the country from where you can see the stars. Whenever the night is clear, I lie on a rug and just look. I am a star-gazer in the true sense - I just gaze. I have no knowledge whatsoever about the night sky, next to no interest in astronomy and even less interest in astrology. The vague resemblance of certain clusters of stars to certain animals or myhtical beings, if looked at from a certain angle, strikes me as completely irrelevant. Also, all the numbering and deciphering that goes on seems to me not only beside the point but opposed to the point which is that here, above us, is one mighty mystery. What I mean to say is that I like the mystery, I need to be reminded of how little I know, and that is why I gaze at the night sky and come back into my kitchen and I cannot believe how unbelievably small everything is! So, my answer to the question is, I`m afraid, I do not know: I do not believe the universe has an edge. I believe it is infinite. No, I do not understand the idea of infinity either. That seems to me to be the point about infinity. It is beyond our comprehension. Wow, eh?

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