You should neither seek to know what end the Gods have given to you and to me, Leuconoe, for such knowledge is forbidden to us, nor should you consult the Babylonian astrological calculations. It is better just to accept whatever will happen. We cannot know whether Jupiter bestows many more winters to us, or whether this is the last one, which is now wearing out the Tyrrhenian Sea against the craggy shore. Be wise. Spend your time on domestic chores; time is brief so restrain from far-off hopes. While we speak, envious time will have fled; seize the day, putting as little faith as possible in tomorrow.

• What does Hubble’s law tell us about the beginning of the universe?
• How can we tell how old the universe is?
• Can space itself be curved? What does that mean? How could we tell?
• What important events happened early in the history of the universe?
• What will the future of the universe be like?