The History and Fate of the Universe

Cosmology, the field that focuses on the origin and evolution of the universe on its largest scales, is undergoing what many have called a “golden era.” New observations, on the ground, in the air, and in space, combined with exciting new theoretical insights, have, over the past decade or two, literally revolutionized our picture of the universe in which we live. Ideas that were essentially pure speculation 20 years ago now rest firmly on the bedrock of experiment. At the same time, many new questions have arisen, and some once firmly held notions about the future of the universe have been displaced. In this article I present a guide to our current understanding of the history and fate of the universe to parallel and supplement the overview presented in the Contemporary Physics Education Project Cosmology Chart.