James Tour

James Tour fascinates me as a figure who lives on two fronts at once. As a Rice University chemist and Feynman Prize winner, he sits among the elite of nanotechnology, building molecular machines few can imagine. Yet he also steps into the public square as an outspoken influencer, refusing the safety of the ivory tower. That willingness to court controversy takes nerve, whatever one makes of his views. I see in him a rare combination: the precise hands of a master scientist paired with a stubborn conviction he is unafraid to broadcast loudly to the world.

Name (English)

James Tour

Name (Japanese)

ジェームス・ツアー

Reading

じぇーむす・つあー

Born

August 18, 1959 (age 66)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Leo / Boar

Origin

New York City, New York, United States

Occupation

chemist / university teacher / influencer

University

Syracuse University

Awards & achievements

• 2008 Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology
• 2021 Oesper Award
• 2020 Centenary Prize
• 2009 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

• Official sitehttps://www.jmtour.com/
• Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/drjamestour/
• Xhttps://x.com/DrJamesTour
• Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James%20Tour
• Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11206500

Tags

• New York
• chemist
• university teacher
• influencer

Last updated

2026-06-21

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.