The Evolution of Cosmology

Throughout the centuries numerous models of cosmology have been proposed and discarded as mankind's understanding of the cosmos has grown through improved observations. It is interesting to follow how the scientific consensus regarding cosmology has changed over time so as to favor first one of these models, then another and another up to the present day. This paper describes many of these historical models, explains why so few of them are still considered viable today, and shows what the surviving models have to say about the creation, evolution, and fate of our universe. Included in the discussion are such modern topics as inflationary cosmology, accelerating universe, dark energy, dark matter, and time symmetry.