a) depends on pressure, velocity, tastebud firmness, enzyme
   count in mouth, air temperature, relative humidity.

   b) Yes, but I think it's simultaneously.
   c) Don't know. I see it all folded together already.
   d) Don't know if universe is expand/contract/expand, if M-Brane
   theory has it right, or even if maybe Steady State Fred Hoyle
   was right. Or if there's a God who said, "Lemme try something".
   [I can expand my list of possibilities to fit a 300 page book,
   so I'll stop there tongue emoticon ]
   d) If Universe is create/recreate cycle, laws of physics would
   likely change. I believe laws of physics may change in this
   universe as well. We're just little tiny things on this gigantic
   20000 mile wide planet (we're, what, a foot wide each?) and our
   blobs of fat with stringy stuff in it is gonna figure out the
   WHOLE UNIVERSE?