Measuring frame-dragging with LARES, and other topics in gravity

This dissertation is divided into two conceptually distinct parts, which both fall under the broad umbrella of gravitational physics. In the first part, we describe work done on the LARES experiment whose goal is to measure the Lense-Thirring effect of general relativity. We first review the derivation of the Lense-Thirring effect, then review past experimental efforts to confirm it, and finally describe our work to help model one of the major error sources of the experiment. In the second part, we give two sample of work done in the area of holography. The first sample presents a toy model for Schwinger pair creation in de Sitter space. The second sample establishes a link between quantum complexity and the thermodynamic volume of black holes.