...in this mind-boggling universe.

I'm fascinated by the possibilities of life abounding. Scientists speculate that there may be 100 billion Earth-like planets in our Milky Way galaxy. Yes, one for every sun-type star in the galaxy. More and more planets are being discovered all the time. With new, profound types of detection. In a paper published in the International Journal of Astrobiology, researchers concluded that at least 381 intelligent civilizations have emerged in the Milky Way since its creation, and as many as 38,000 may have formed. It's all educated guesses right now. The Milky Way is believed to be more than 13 billion years old. It is just one of billions of galaxies in the universe. The Milky Way has a circumference of about 250,000 to 300,000 light years. That means one can circle the galaxy in about 250,000 years traveling at the speed of light, some 186,000 miles a second. And it would take about 100,000 years to travel the diameter of the Milky Way. Man oh man. Think about it. Our tiny planet in this vast galaxy in a universe consisting of billions of galaxies. Makes me feel a trillion times smaller than a speck of sand. But still, I'm thrilled to be alive and conscious in this mind-boggling universe. --Jim Broede