  The past, present and future of cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy
research is discussed, with emphasis on the Boomerang and Maxima balloon
experiments. These data are combined with large scale structure (LSS)
information and high redshift supernova (SN1) observations to explore the
inflation-based cosmic structure formation paradigm. Here we primarily focus on
a simplified inflation parameter set, {omega_b,omega_{cdm},Omega_{tot},
Omega_Q,w_Q, n_s,tau_C, sigma_8}. After marginalizing over the other cosmic and
experimental variables, we find the current CMB+LSS+SN1 data gives
Omega_{tot}=1.04\pm 0.05, consistent with (non-baroque) inflation theory.
Restricting to Omega_{tot}=1, we find a nearly scale invariant spectrum, n_s
=1.03 \pm 0.07. The CDM density, omega_{cdm}=0.17\pm 0.02, is in the expected
range, but the baryon density, omega_b=0.030\pm 0.004, is slightly larger than
the current nucleosynthesis estimate. Substantial dark energy is inferred,
Omega_Q\approx 0.68\pm 0.05, and CMB+LSS Omega_Q values are compatible with the
independent SN1 estimates. The dark energy equation of state, parameterized by
a quintessence-field pressure-to-density ratio w_Q, is not well determined by
CMB+LSS (w_Q<-0.3 at 95%CL), but when combined with SN1 the resulting w_Q<-0.7
limit is quite consistent with the w_Q=-1 cosmological constant case. Though
forecasts of statistical errors on parameters for current and future
experiments are rosy, rooting out systematic errors will define the true
progress.
