Understanding the behavior of interacting electrons in solids or liquids is at the heart of modern quantum science and necessary for technological advances. However, the complexity of their interactions generally prevents us from coming up with an exact mathematical description of their behavior. Precisely engineered ultracold gases are emerging as a powerful tool for unraveling these challenging physical problems. In this talk, I will present recent developments at JILA on using alkaline-earth atoms (AEAs) --currently the basis of the most precise atomic clock in the world-- for the investigation of complex many-body phenomena and magnetism. I will discuss ideas to use AEAs to engineer synthetic materials with no yet known counterpart in nature. I will also discuss how to use laser fields to make neutral AEAs behave as charged electrons in ultra-strong magnetic fields.