Cosmology from pregeometry
  We discuss cosmological solutions for a diffeomorphism invariant gauge theory
of the non-compact Lorentz group $SO(1,3)$. Besides the gauge bosons our model
of pregeometry contains a vector field in the vector representation of
$SO(1,3)$ and a scalar singlet. General relativity and variable gravity emerge
as effective theories for large distances and times in Planck units. We propose
an approximation to the effective action with up to two derivatives. For a
suitable range of parameters the universe approaches for large times stable
Minkowski space. For late cosmology the model predicts dynamical dark energy
and provides for a candidate for dark matter. Early cosmology is characterized
by an inflationary epoch. The beginning of the universe in the infinite past is
great emptiness, corresponding to an ultraviolet fixed point with the
associated quantum scale symmetry. The beginning universe is a vacuum state
with vanishing expectation values and finite non-vanishing correlation
functions for the fluctuations of all fields. There is no physical big bang
singularity.
