I doubt very much that the synaptic connections in the brain are as abundant as the atomic particles in the universe, since the brain would have to be made up of those atomic particles, and the space occupying any synaptic gap, would have to be made up of those atomic particles. Around about 100 billion neurons, each linked up, to around 25,000 others, via synaptic connections (but this information varies greatly from source to source, but to the laymen like you and me the point is, its alot man!), this is the infinity you talk of. The infinite number of pathways, any one neuronal impulse, can take, due to the interconnective nature of all the neurons in the brain, this has made it one of the most complex systems in the "known" universe (this doesn't mean it is, and probably falls very very short, because I mean, LOOK AT THE FUCKIN UNIVERSE MAN WOOOOOOOOW! to which somehow spawned freakish shit like us :thumbsup: ) I imagine it like a quantum computer (however you would imagine that) parallel processing (http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?...&curtab=2222_1) and other techniques of simultaneously processing many sources of information, to arrive at a 'single' outcome (like the processing of light, in to the depth, colour, etc., but is finally 'received' as a single perception, like the sensation of sight). The neurons are designed in a way, that an action potential (electric signal) traversing one neuron, will cause the synaptic gaps of the connected neurons to misfire and begin its own impulse which in turn will stimulate another unique set of synaptic gaps, etc etc.. like the expanding energy of transversal waves, the ripple on the surface of a pond for example, this allows for an infinity of pathways a single 'bit' of sensory stimuli can take, to arrive at a perceptive outcome, scientifically speaking, seeing colours, or synesthesia, should be expected if we are to believe anything about the current understanding of the brain, and it does happen, which is a good sign, but of course this is somewhat an exagerration of the mechanism behind sensory processes in the brain, as not every1 see's and taste's colours (unless you take a peak behind the curtain with a few chemical brothers :thumsbup. According to Hans Moravec, by extrapolating from known capabilities of the retina to process image inputs, a brain has a processing capacity of 100 trillion instructions per second.

The brain is a giant, limitless electrical circuit of interconnecting neurons, powered by the conversion of chemical energy via decomposition of a neurotransmitter's molecular bonds, at a synapse, this breakdown will give off electrochemical energy, causing a change in membrane potential between the inside and outside of the cell, if the imbalance is large enough, it is stimulated above a certain voltage known as the "threshold" it causes the cell membrane to contract (you ever gotten electricuted, same thing, I didn't know my muscles could work that hard), and opens holes in the membrane, known as ion channels, which due to the natural flow of electricity (or any charged particle) from negative to positive (or more generally the natural tendency to neutralize charges which causes this phenomena), ions (chemicals with a charge, either positive or negative) flow down this natural electrochemical gradient, the particles (Sodium) flowing in through the membrane, increase the membrane potential dramatically, but the membrane also has a rectifying mechanism, which are also voltage dependent, when the voltage gets to a certain level, the channels (sodium) close, and the charges between the inside and outside are dramatically different than before initial stimulation. A second set of channels open, which allow ions of opposite charge to come through (also following the natural electochemical gradient, this is potassium) this causes the membrane potential to fall and undershoot, because the voltage is no longer the value required to stimulate the opening of the potassium channels, they close, and because there is no further stimulation, the cell returns to resting potential. When the cell is at its resting potential the electric forces between the sodium and potassium of the neuron is counterbalanced by the "diffusive forces," creating a state of equilibrium. This is the very basic (and simplified) mechanism that underlies all neuron stimulation, point being not 'Wow look what we can find out! Look how clever we are' but that all those processes that cause you to experience the touch/smell/sight of something, and even the emotions of happiness/sadness/anger are governed by the same exact mechanisms as everything else in the universe, they are completely natural and free flowing, plus you can't believe that all that happens, and you take it completely for granted, to me the tapping of keys, the touch of my fingertips, the light bouncing off my eyes, I don't think about processing, the shit just happens, but I feel it, and respond to it, whats up with that?