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?