  Models of cosmic inflation posit an early phase of accelerated expansion of
the universe, driven by the dynamics of one or more scalar fields in curved
spacetime. Though detailed assumptions about fields and couplings vary across
models, inflation makes specific, quantitative predictions for several
observable quantities, such as the flatness parameter ($\Omega_k = 1 - \Omega$)
and the spectral tilt of primordial curvature perturbations ($n_s - 1 = d \ln
{\cal P}_{\cal R} / d \ln k$), among others---predictions that match the latest
observations from the {\it Planck} satellite to very good precision. In the
light of data from {\it Planck} as well as recent theoretical developments in
the study of eternal inflation and the multiverse, we address recent criticisms
of inflation by Ijjas, Steinhardt, and Loeb. We argue that their conclusions
rest on several problematic assumptions, and we conclude that cosmic inflation
is on a stronger footing than ever before.
