Quantum Spacetime and the Cosmic Endgame

Synopsis

The past century of progress in Physics and Astronomy has witnessed development of hugely successful programs in theory, observations, experiments, and phenomenology. While it is perfectly justified to celebrate these advances, we must not lose sight of the big picture, one that includes ever-widening chasms amongst our best models of nature: dark matter, vaccum, the big bang, particle physics and quantum gravity.  Will either observations or experiments ever be able to bridge these divides, or are we still missing key analytic ingredients? Do we even have the right language or tools?  Join me in exploring these profound mysteries and the emerging, albeit subjective, glimpses of hope that hint at a possible endgame in our quest to comprehend the cosmos.