"Ten years ago, I read that there were two galaxies for everyone alive. Lately, since we loosed the Hubble space telescope, we have revised our figures. There are maybe nine galaxies for each of us-eighty billion galaxies. Each galaxy harbors at least one hundred billion suns. In our galaxy, the Milky Way, there are four hundred billion suns-give or take 50 percent-or sixty-nine suns for each person alive. The Hubble shows, said an early report, that the stars are 'not 12 but 13 billion years old.' Two galaxies, nine galaxies . . . one hundred billion suns, four hundred billion suns . . twelve billion years, thirteen billion years . . .
These astronomers are nickel-and-diming us to death."
- Annie Dillard, For the Time Being
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