googolplex

num

1. The number 10^(10¹⁰⁰) or 10^( text )googol, ten to the power of a googol.

   “Consider that we can start with one googolplex and count: two googolplexes, three googolplexes and so on up to a googolplex googolplexes and beyond—and still not have reached infinity.”

   “If the universe were packed solid with neutrons, say, so there was no empty space anywhere, there would still only be about 10¹²⁸ particles in it, quite a bit more than a googol but trivially small compared to a googolplex.”

   “The theoretical number of nucleic acids in DNA, Jack had heard centuries ago, was ten to the power of one hundred and twenty thousand. He couldn't even imagine a number that would hold the set of possible universes, meaning every possible state and position for every particle in every Planck time. Googolplex, he thought, 1 followed by a googol of zeroes: googolplex raised to the power of googolplex.”

2. (figuratively)A countable number.

   “Inflationary theory suggests that the entirety of space is vastly larger. Quantum theory suggests that there are many different copies of space of the same basic kind as ours (same laws of physics). String theory further suggests that there may be many different kinds of space. This whole collection of googolplexes of galaxies within each of googolplexes of different spaces within each of googols of kinds of space makes up an enormously vast universe or multiverse.”

   “In some unimaginable future, the universe will stretch so thin that the light from one galaxy would be unable to reach any other galaxy. Eventually, all the stars would burn out, and the universe would consist of the dead cinders of stars, black holes, and uncountable googolplexes of cubic light-years of cold, empty space.”

3. (US, nonstandard, rare)An infinitesimally small portion of land, defined for legal purposes.

   “To a mathematician, a googolplex is the figure 1 followed by a googol of zeroes (a googol being the figure 1 followed by a mere 100 zeroes). To a real-estate man, it's one infinitesimal parcel of a plot of land.”