This thesis discusses various aspects of theoretical high-energy physics. The first two sections describe methods for investigating QCD effects in e⁺e⁻ annihilation to hadrons. The third section presents some predictions for various features of QCD jets. The fourth section shows that any fermions in the standard weak interaction model must have masses ≾100 GeV. In the fifth section, the abundances of any new absolutely stable heavy particles which should have been produced in the early universe are estimated, and found to be inconsistent with observational limits. Finally, the sixth section describes the development of a baryon excess in the very early universe due to B, CP violating interactions.