Abstract

The existence, and enigmatic nature, of 'Dark Energy' is one
of the biggest theoretical upsets of recent times. In this seminar we
present work on alternative theoretical and phenomenological approaches
to the Dark Energy problem, in particular the issue of whether dark
energy is a matter or gravity-based phenomenon, and the ways in which
such approaches have been constrained and guided by observation. We
also discuss some of the exciting future approaches that could provide
unprecedented insights into the fundamentals of Dark Energy.