On the Origin and Fate of Our Universe

Abstract

This brief review, intended for high energy and astrophysics researchers, explores the implications of recent theoretical advances in string theory and the Swampland program for understanding bounds on the structure of positive potentials allowed in quantum gravity. This has a bearing on both inflationary models for the early universe as well as the fate of our universe. The paper includes a review of the dS conjecture as well as the TransPlanckian Censorship Conjecture (TCC) and its relation to the species scale. We provide evidence for these principles as well as what they may lead to in terms of phenomenological predictions. (Talk presented at Lemaitre Conference 2024)