The renowned cosmogonist Professor Bignumska, lecturing on the future of the universe, had just stated that in about a billion years, according to her calculations, the earth would fall into the sun in a fiery death. In the back of the auditorium a tremulous voice piped up: "Excuse me, Professor, but h-h-how long did you say it would be?"

Professor Bignumska calmly replied, "About a billion years."

A sigh of relief was heard. "Whew! for a minute there, I thought you'd said million years."