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In this paper, we present a theoretical and numerical analysis of the free expansion of a Bose-Einstein condensate, where we assume that the single particle energy spectrum is deformed due to a possible quantum structure of spacetime. Also, we consider the presence of interparticle interactions in order to study more realistic and specific scenarios. The modified free velocity expansion of the condensate leads in a natural way to a modification of the uncertainty principle, which allows us to investigate some possible features of the Planck scale regime in low-energy earth-based experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequently used analogy of a massive ball distorting an elastic sheet, which is used to illustrate why mass causes spacetime curvature and gravitational attraction, is criticized in this article. A different analogy that draws on the students' previous knowledge of spacetime diagrams in special relativity is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]