Our research program has spanned a range of topics related to thermal noise, from the fundamental physics of the Fluctuation-Dissipation Theorem's link between mechanical loss and thermal noise, through the development of new methods to measure the internal friction in materials, to attempts to minimize the actual levels of dissipation (both from fundamental and from technical sources) in real pendulums. Here we briefly review the accomplishments of this program to date, and describe our ongoing projects.