  The origin of the galaxies represents an important focus of current
cosmological research, both observational and theoretical. Its resolution
involves a comprehensive understanding of star formation, galaxy dynamics, the
cosmology of the very early universe, and the nature of the dark matter. In
this review, I will focus on those aspects of dark matter that are relevant for
understanding galaxy formation, and describe the outlook for detecting the most
elusive component, non-baryonic dark matter.
