N=8 supergravity and beyond, or: What symmetry can teach us about quantum gravity and unification

In this talk I will review at an introductory level recent developments pointing to symmetry concepts beyond (maximal) supersymmetry that may not only be relevant for the unification of particle interactions, but also to a better understanding of cosmological singularities in General Relativity. A key role in these considerations is played by the maximally extended hyperbolic Kac--Moody algebra E10