What is a Tractor Beam?
A tractor beam is a device which can manipulate objects from a distance; the concept is primarily theoretical, rather than actual, so it is difficult to define how, exactly, a tractor beam works. Many science fiction films and books feature some variant of the tractor beam, often utilizing a high-powered laser. Typically, a tractor beam attracts objects, pulling them closer to the source of the beam, or it is capable of locking onto a target in order to move it. In contrast, a pressor beam repels objects, forcing them further away. Although most people think of tractor beams as the stuff of science fiction, they actually do exist, but only on a molecular level. Scientists in the early 21st century were able to develop so-called “molecular tweezers” which could manipulate molecules without actually touching them, using very precise lasers. While these miniaturized tractor beams might not seem as exciting as the stuff of Star Trek, they represented a major breakthrough for the scientific
