Anderson's research involves the study of quantum fluid dynamics and quantum turbulence in dilute-gas Bose-Einstein condensates, or BECs. These tiny droplets of superfluid are the coldest known objects in the universe and are created using laser cooling and atom trapping techniques. They also provide a unique and versatile medium for the experiments of quantum fluid dynamics in Anderson’s lab at the College of Optical Sciences. In a superfluid such as a BEC, microscopic centers of fluid circulation called quantized vortices may be observed using optical techniques and are conspicuous indicators of the system’s superfluid dynamics. By studying the way vortices are generated and how they move and interact, a wide range of general physical phenomena well beyond Bose-Einstein condensation may be better understood. Examples include phase transition dynamics, turbulence, reduced-dimensional quantum physics and the dynamics of quantum systems far from equilibrium.