James Tour

James Tour (born August 18, 1959; currently 67 years old) is an American synthetic organic chemist, nanotechnologist, and professor at Rice University, holding appointments in chemistry, materials science, and computer science. After earning his Ph.D. under Nobel laureate Ei-ichi Negishi at Purdue University, Tour established himself as a pioneering researcher in molecular electronics, carbon nanomaterials, and flash Joule heating techniques for graphene production, alongside well-known projects such as single-molecule "nanocars". An elected member of the National Academy of Engineering, he has founded numerous nanotechnology and materials startups and published hundreds of highly cited papers. Outside his materials research, Tour is also widely known for his vocal Christian apologetics, his advocacy of intelligent design, and his prominent public skepticism regarding mainstream scientific models for the origin of life (abiogenesis).