2023/09/28 by William J. Wolf, Wolf, William J., Patrick M. Duerr +1
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Physics and Astronomy · Psychology · #Economic theories and models #FOS: Physical sciences #History and Philosophy of Physics (physics.hist-ph) #Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs #Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2309.16266
openalex publication_date 2023/09/28 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The paper investigates the historical and contemporary pursuit-worthiness of cosmic inflation-the rationale for working on it (rather than necessarily the evidential support for claims to its approximate truth): what reasons existed, and exist, that warrant inflation's status as the mainstream paradigm studied, explored, and further developed by the majority of the cosmology community? We'll show that inflation exemplifies various salient theory virtues: explanatory depth, unifying/integrative power, fertility and positive heuristics, the promotion of understanding, and the prospect (and passing) of novel benchmark tests. This, we'll argue, constitutes inflation's auspicious promise. It marks inflation as preferable over both the inflation-less Hot Big Bang Model, as well as rivals to inflation: inflation, we maintain, rightly deserved, and continues to deserve, the concerted research efforts it has enjoyed.