Cosmic Origin and Cosmic Fate - From Big Bang to Dark Energy

This is the second Gordon Research Conference in the series on String Theory and Cosmology, initiated in Hong Kong in 2015. Cosmology, once a philosophical subject, has matured into a precision science as ground and space-based astronomical observations supply a wealth of unprecedentedly precise cosmological measurements. Questions that once was the stuff of speculation can now be analyzed in the context of rigorous, predictive theoretical frameworks whose viability is determined by observational data. The conference will explore the synergistic interface between cosmology and string theory. The increasingly precise measurements of the cosmic microwave background, new results from large scale structure surveys, the discovery of gravitational radiation from black holes, and the diverse dark matter/dark energy probes continue to unveil the fundamental laws of Nature. Recent progress in understanding cosmological solutions in superstring and supergravity theories give hope that string theory may eventually provide answers to some of the most profound questions in cosmology. This includes questions concerning inflation, the nature of dark matter, dark energy as well as the possibility of a multiverse.

Our aim is to promote discussion between cosmologists and string theorists, and we hope that this conference will initiate new ideas and new ways of thinking. The conference will bring together world leading experts to stimulate further in-depth study as well as the close collaboration among the conference participants in the future. The conference will be multi-disciplinary in nature covering a wide range of expertise in the intersections of cosmology and string theory, and discuss the connection between theory and experiment. The format of the conference will allow plenty of time for discussions, and there will also be poster sessions. We hope that this conference can serve as a platform for further developments in education, science and technology in this growing area. We are convinced that the beautiful location, in the midst of Tuscany, will contribute to a successful meeting.