Variations of the vacuum expectation value of scalar fields which are larger than the Planck mass occur in a number of physical theories, primarily in the context of cosmology. I will discuss the interplay of such a theoretical possibility with expectations, guided by string theory, regarding the nature of quantum gravity. I will first introduce some such expectations, such as the Weak Gravity Conjecture, discuss the evidence for them, and then go on to explore their interplay with scalar field variations.

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Please note the unusual date!