  General ideas of gauge/gravity duality allow for the possibility of time
dependent solutions that interpolate between a perturbative gauge theory phase
and a weakly curved string/gravity phase. Such a scenario applied to cosmology
would exhibit a non-geometric phase before the big bang. We investigate a toy
model for such a cosmology, whose endpoint is the classical limit of the
two-dimensional non-critical string. We discuss the basic dynamics of this
model, in particular how it evolves toward the double scaling limit required
for stringy dynamics. We further comment on the physics that will determine the
fluctuation spectrum of the scalar tachyon. Finally, we discuss various
features of this model, and what relevance they might have for a more
realistic, higher dimensional scenario.
