• Question: What is the weirdest answer you found about an unanswered question

    Asked by u12reeda to Susan on 8 Nov 2013.
    • Photo: Susan Skelton

      Susan Skelton answered on 8 Nov 2013:

      Really good question!!

      So, I explained in my profile how strong light beams can be used to push or hold small particles.

      I worked on a project where I shaped the light beam so that it looked like a corkscrew and the light followed a spiral path as it traveled. When I used this type of light to hold small particles, as well as holding the particles, it caused them to spin around and rotate very quickly. That was pretty cool to watch!

      We are still thinking of useful things we could do with this. Some ideas are as a tiny spanner to screw microscopic screws, or we could spin a particle and use it to pump tiny amounts of fluid, for example in a blood vessel.

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