Speaker: Professor David Grier

Physicists very recently have discovered that light can pull things. What?!?

Dr. David Grier will explain the brand-new theory of optical forces, and how this theory has led to the first experimental demonstrations of tractor beams — long a staple of science fiction and now a practical reality. Dr. Grier will also describe what these tractor beams are good for, including applications in interplanetary research.

David Grier is a Professor of Physics and the Director of the Center for Soft Matter Research at NYU. His work aims to understand how simple interactions between microscopic objects lead to much more sophisticated structures and functions. Grier has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles on basic research and holds more than 50 U.S. patents on technology invented in the course of this research. He is also one of the BioBus’s longest-standing fans — and the father of Zoe, all-star BioBase science camp counselor!