Colloquium Schedule

Technical University Vienna

 

Dark energy constitutes roughly 70% of the energy density of our universe. It counter-acts gravity and is responsible for the observed accelerated expansion of our universe. On-going and near future experiments will measure the properties, in particular the time dependence, of this dark energy with much higher precision. At the same time theorists are trying to improve our theoretical understanding of dark energy. String theory combines Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity with quantum mechanics into a full-fledged theory of quantum gravity. Currently string theorists are actively debating whether they should predict that the dark energy in our universe is changing in time or whether it can be time independent. I will review these latest theoretical developments and their potential implications for the fate of our universe.