Here are some thoughts on the nature of the universe which
arrived in today's e-mail (the thoughts, not the universe).
According to Douglas Adams, there is a theory which states that
if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and
why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by
something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another
theory which states that this has already happened. Albert
Einstein said, "Only two things are infinite, the universe and
human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." In answer to
the question of why it happened, Edward P. Tryon offered the
"modest proposal" that "our Universe is simply one of those
things which happen from time to time." Says Woody Allen: "I'm
astounded by people who want to 'know' the universe when it's
hard enough to find your way around Chinatown." Adams also adds:
"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot
of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move."
 
Fred Hoyle notes, "There is a coherent plan in the universe,
though I don't know what it's a plan for." Bill Watterson (Calvin
and Hobbes) believes that "The surest sign that intelligent life
exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to
contact us." And finally, and a bit more germaine to the subject
matter at hand, this from Rich Cook: "Programming today is a race
between software engineers striving to build bigger and better
idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger
and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning."