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Craig
Any chance you can elaborate - I personally don't see the difference between an oscillating universe and a cyclic one.
I understand that the second law of thermodynamics decrees that temperature tends to equilibrium - and I feel that that is synonymous with increased entropy (disorder).
If the universe enters a stage where it contracts back to a singularity then I see no reason why this second law of thermodynamics ( and increasing disorder - increasing erosion of structure) should be violated. It's the the next phase which raises questions.
At the singularity laws of physics (as we know them - or of what I understand them to be) break-down. Hence any subsequent re-expansion of the universe could start out highly ordered and no violation of our understood laws has taken place.
I'm completely beyond my competency level here - but that is how I see this.
With regards to Astroguy's (Eugenio) query - I don't think we can know - I think that we should assume an infinite number of times as anything else would raise the question of why any particular "start" time was so special and unique.
Mark C.
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