## Acknowledgements 

I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Nick Evans, for coming up with such interesting research topics, guiding me towards publication and for humouring my more fanciful ideas. The students, post-doctorates and staff at Southampton have all been very friendly and willing to help me. I like to think I made them consider the simple questions that they thought were beneath them! In particular I single out Ed Threlfall, Andreas Juet- tner, James Ettle and Michael ‘one hour’ Donnellan for their general help. 

Jonathan Shock and Tom Waterson guided my education in AdS/CFT mat- ters for which I am grateful. I have also had great fun doing outreach activ- ities with Pearl John, who is always quick to remind me that not everyone knows what a quark is. 

I am very grateful to my parents who have been very supportive throughout my life, and taught me the value of a balanced education from a young age. 

Financially I thank the University of Southampton for funding me through my PhD studies. 

