"The Cosmological Constant Problem in Fundamental Physics"
Einstein inserted into his General Theory of Relativity
a term he
called the "cosmological constant" that would tend to
expand the universe. The
tremendous puzzle within fundamental physics of understanding
why the
cosmological constant is so small is reviewed, along
with some of the broad
theoretical approaches to the problem. The potential
relevance of submillimeter
tests of Newton's Law is discussed, as well as observational
probes of the
nature of dark energy.