Optical atomic clocks are the most precise devices ever constructed by humankind. In my research group at the University of Wisconsin – Madison we are building a new kind of optical atomic clock dedicated to harnessing this precision to shed light on some of the great remaining mysteries in our understanding of the universe. Our “multiplexed” optical lattice atomic clock will push the limits of clock precision by mitigating the dominant sources of noise in current-generation optical atomic clocks. We will utilize this precision to test the theory of relativity by realizing one of Einstein’s famous thought experiments for the first time. We will then perform precision isotope shift measurements in neutral strontium to hunt for the first hints of undiscovered particles. The advances in clock techniques and technologies that we develop will also have impacts outside of fundamental physics, in fields ranging from navigation to astronomy to geology.