how does the universe work?

The universe is almost too perfect. Not to say that there aren't some "bad things" about it but we really should not be here at all. Life is rather impossible without some tinkering going on by something (or someone), somewhere.

Which came first? Either way chickens & eggs do not go back forever. And neither does our universe. All evidence points to a beginning (the Big Bang). And what's behind that grand curtain at the very beginning is a matter of faith for both believers and atheists. What makes the most sense?

One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands. It speaks to our hope that the creator of the stars can be the keeper of our hearts. The universe points to a magnificent beginning, "You spoke a word and life began". We are not alone on this journey through the cosmos. 

Advanced Topic. The Multiverse. Unicorns. Maximally great pizzas. This argument is literally hard to "digest" but some really smart folks over the past 1000 years still take this line of reasoning very seriously (e.g. Alvin Platinga) despite the counterarguments that some propose against it.

Advanced Topic. The question above is a serious one that cannot be trivialized. It begs an answer. Folks before television and the Internet had a lot of time to think about such things and dedicated philosophers are still wrestling with these thoughts to this day.