TOW #22: "Our Universe Just May Exist In A Multiverse After All, Cosmic Inflation Discovery Suggests" by Miriam Kramer (via Huffington Post)

     In her Huffington Post article "Our Universe Just May Exist In A Multiverse After All, Cosmic Inflation Suggests," Miriam Kramer, a science journalist, writes about the newly-discovered evidence of cosmic inflation. These new findings, she says, contribute to the multiverse theory – that we simply live in one iteration of the universe, and there are infinitely many more. Since it uses layman's terms, the article is clearly directed to anyone who is interested in space, regardless of age. Throughout the article, Kramer strives to inform readers about cosmic inflation and to draw connections between it and the multiverse theory. To achieve this, she appeals to ethos by quoting numerous experts.
     Since Kramer's article revolves mostly around the connection between theories, it's not particularly concrete. To solidify her points and gain credibility, she quotes experts. When discussing how cosmic inflation and the multiverse are directly connected, she quotes Alan Guth, a theoretical physicist from MIT as saying: "It's hard to build models of inflation that don't lead to a multiverse" and "It's not impossible, so I think there's still certainly research that needs to be done. But most models inflation do lead to a multiverse [...]" By identifying and quoting an expert, Kramer establishes credibility for the connections drawn between the two theories, which convinces readers that cosmic inflation really could support multiverse theories.
     Furthermore, Kramer understands that the connection between inflation and the multiverse may be difficult for some readers to comprehend, so she quotes another expert who knows a great way to describe the theory. She writes, "Linde, one of the main contributors to inflation theory, says [...] 'Think about some unstable state [...] You are standing on a hill, and you can fall in this direction, you can fall in that direction, and if you're drunk, eventually you must fall. Inflation is instability of our space with respect to its expansion.'" Kramer goes on to quote Linde explaining that the ability to "fall" in any direction is what makes the multiverse theory work – it could "fall" in infinitely many directions, causing an infinite number of possible universes – the multiverse. By quoting Linde, Kramer was able to present to readers a simple analogy straight from a person who understands cosmic inflation best. This not only informs readers but also adds even more credibility to the connections between cosmic inflation and the multiverse.
     In her article about cosmic inflation and the multiverse theory, Miriam Kramer quotes various experts to appeal to ethos. This ethical appeal then gives the audience concrete evidence that there are strong connections between the two theories, because readers are very likely to accept the words of experts. Quoting Guth and Linde allowed Kramer to strengthen her article's credibility and ultimately inform and convince readers of the connections between newly-discovered cosmic inflation and the theory of the multiverse.

The Multiverse:

The multiverse theory discussed in this article explores the possibility of "bubbles" created as space-time expanded at different rates. Each of these "bubbles," the theory says, contains a different version of the universe.

(Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/19/universe-multiverse-cosmic-inflation-discovery_n_4993429.html?ir=Science)