What a Jar of Sauerkraut Can Teach Us About the Universe

A number of years ago I learned that a five-ounce serving of freshly made sauerkraut contains some 10 trillion or so beneficial organisms. My mind can barely comprehend the enormity of 10 million of something, let alone a number one million times greater. I became obsessed by how many organisms would be in a 1-gallon jar of sauerkraut (approximately 2.5 x 10¹⁴) and what they all were doing in there. Coupled with my lifelong affinity for science fiction, and...