Abstract
Gravitational lenses yield a very high rate of return on observational investment. Given their scarcity, their impact on our knowledge of the universe is very significant. In the weak-field limit, lensing studies are based on well-established physics and thus offer a straightforward approach to pursue many currently pressing problems of astrophysics. Examples of these are the significance of dark matter and the density, age and size of the universe. I present recent developments in cosmological applications of gravitational lenses, regarding estimates of the Hubble constant using strong lensing of quasars. I describe our recent measurements of time delays for the images of SDSS1004+4112, and discuss prospects for the future utilizing synoptic telescopes, planned and under construction.
