Working Tractor Beam Can Move Objects 5 Feet With Just Light | Popular Science

Working Tractor Beam Can Move Objects 5 Feet With Just Light | Popular Science: "It works by shining a hollow laser beam around small glass particles, as Inside Science explains. The air around the particle heats up, but the hollow center of the beam stays cool. The heated air molecules keep the object balanced in the dark center. But a small amount of light sneaks into the hollow, warming the air on one side of the object and nudging it along the length of the laser beam. Researchers can change the speed and direction of the glass object by changing the lasers’ brightness."