The study of dimensionals science—never forget the s on dimensionals, as that was how you summoned an actually of pedants—was nearly as vast as the Deep itself, and about as well understood. Not for lack of trying, mind: for several centuries, efforts to distill the Deep into its component parts sucked the life out of every other discipline. An extradimensional entity that bent space to its whims? My goodness. Package that straight up for sale, why don’t you?
They tried. Oh, how they tried! The dimensionals physicists had the Witches open paths along the Rails. They set up all manner of diagnostic equipment. A few of them fell so passionately in love with the Deep that it accepted them as Witches: at first, they thrilled at their access to forces beyond human comprehension; later, they got fed up at the lack of answers. Then they usually took up word puzzles.
Not that there weren’t benefits of trying. Studying the Deep led to other discoveries. Faster-than-light travel was the hallmark invention of dimensionals scientists, followed closely by the ubiquitous entertainment and communications channels which moved data from planet to planet near instantaneously. And many said, without evidence, that it was surely not coincidence how the first quantifiable psionic abilities emerged during this early period of discovery, with the telekinetics running the gambling tables, the pyrokinetics burning everything down, and the rare telepath stoned to death in the street.
As for the Deep? Well, now. The dimensionals scientists eventually gave up and declared the Deep was a complete entity wholly unto itself, not something which could be distilled or replicated.
Thus Lancaster thrived.