Cosmic inflation describes a phase lasting a tiny fraction of a second in the universe's existence, in which the universe expanded at a faster-than-light speed from a speck much, much smaller than an atom to about the size of a grapefruit.
Which brings me to one last piece – a tiny one, but significant.
Mr. Adams once wanted to be an interior designer; his last apartment, a tiny studio room in Hamilton Heights, was featured in a book on New York style.
Even Las Vegas which calls itself the wedding capital of the world, with 113,000 wedding licences issued last year had a tiny fraction of its usual business.
The last child, a tiny chap of ten, thin, red-haired, freckled, came into possession of a small book of nature stories without illustrations or even head and tail pieces.
He heard Chaliapin sing, and attended concerts conducted by, among others, Stravinsky and Ravel the last-named "a tiny man who stood bolt upright and conducted with what to me looked like a pencil".
At last there is a tiny glimmer of hope for people, like me, who don't like football.
According to the Sri Lankan army, the Tigers are now making a last stand on a tiny strip of land in the north-east of the country.
Sanctions are only used as a last resort for a tiny minority who don't follow the rules, and hardship payments are available if people need them".
As Fintan O'Toole argues elsewhere in this newspaper, the Irish approach was a strategy of last resort for a tiny economy in dire straits.
