  A near-Milne Universe produces a very red spectrum of vacuum quantum
fluctuations, but has the potential to produce near-scale invariant {\it
thermal} fluctuations. This happens if the energy and entropy are mildly
sub-extensive, for example if there is a Casimir contribution. Therefore, one
does not need to invoke corrections to Einstein gravity (as in loop quantum
cosmology) for a thermal scenario to be viable. Neither do we need the energy
to scale like the area, as in scenarios where the thermal fluctuations are
subject to a phase transition in the early Universe. Some odd features of this
model are pointed out: whether they are fatal or merely unusual should be the
subject of future investigations.
