  The Cyclic Model is a radical, new cosmological scenario which proposes that
the Universe undergoes an endless sequence of epochs which begin with a `big
bang' and end in a `big crunch.' When the Universe bounces from contraction to
re-expansion, the temperature and density remain finite. The model does not
include a period of rapid inflation, yet it reproduces all of the successful
predictions of standard big bang and inflationary cosmology. We point out
numerous novel elements that have not been used previously which may open the
door to further alternative cosmologies. Although the model is motivated by
M-theory, branes and extra-dimensions, here we show that the scenario can be
described almost entirely in terms of conventional 4d field theory and 4d
cosmology.
