Come on a journey to level zero where lasers cool and atoms lase. Bose-Einstein Condensates form a robust platform for research that spans a wide range of physics. I will review recent work in our group  and explain the techniques and methods that we use. The talk will cover:

• Cherenkov radiation in a nonlinear medium
• Ultrasensitive potential sensing to improve quantum electrodynamics.
• Putting a new weight on entanglement.
• Building a quantum simulator with crystals made of light.
• Using machine learning to speed up experiments.
• Looking beyond the edge of a BEC at quantum depletion.

There will be refreshments to accompany the talk. It will be followed by a tour of the He* BEC lab.