Let there be light! What more precious gift could there be? Colors endow our world with remarkable beauty. They also tell us a great deal about our world.

Our questions about light are ancient- Where does light come from and how does it reveal the secrets of our universe?

Our questions about light are modern- How can we use light in our everyday lives?

Our questions about light are about the future- What new properties of light have we discovered that will change our very understanding of light? In my talk, we will explore what happens under unearthly conditions when light becomes far brighter than the sun. Here, light and matter are joined, quantum mechanics reigns, and colors mutate. New ways of using light become possible including the ability to control matter.