"Virtually all that we know today, however, would remain untouched and when I say I am glad that I live in a century when the Universe is essentially understood

"Virtually all that we know today, however, would remain untouched and when I say I am glad that I live in a century when the Universe is essentially understood, I think I am justified." I think most people at most times would have agreed with that. But the difference would be in the meaning of "the Universe"; the "basic rules of gravity" would hardly be the important part to most peoples at most times. Oh, and... "I received a letter from a reader the other day. It was handwritten in crabbed penmanship so that it was very difficult to read....however low on the social scale..." Nice. "*I received a letter from a reader the other day. It was handwritten in crabbed penmanship so that it was very difficult to read.