Inflation, Multiple Universes and Ends of the Universe
Lead: Michael Cleary & Christopher Black
4/3/2000
Summary by Chris Karney:

Recently science has proven that our universe started about 14 billion years ago at a singularity known as "the big bang." Science goes on to say that this "big bang" marks the beginning of time as we know it.

But statements like this have bold implications and lead to questions not usually though of as scientific. Such as: Since the universe has a beginning, does it have an end? If nothing (pre big bang era) created something (our universe) once, can it do so again?

• Inflation (open)- universe expands exponentially in beginning then calms to a state of flat acceleration.
• Saddle (open)- expansion of the universe is accelerating just slow enough to remain together.
• Flat (open)- universe expands at constant rate for all of eternity.
• Spherical (open)- universe expands at a decelerating rate, just fast enough to avoid collapse.
• Big crunch (closed)- universe expands to a maximum size then collapses to infinite density.

All though no one can prove that multiple universes exist, no one can disprove it either. Therefore theories have been created in multiple universes could exist.

• Andrei Linde- created the self-reproducing universe model. Universes divide to create two similar to cellular patterns.
• Vilenkin — Coined the idea of eternal inflation, nothing will in fact create something for eternity.