Laser Beam Teleported

Michael Wardle writes "ABC Australia reports that a team of scientists from the Australian National University have successfully teleported a laser beam. It seems that teleportation of solid bodies is still a way off, but at least we're a little closer to Slashdot's favorite super power." Another Australian newspaper has a more detailed story.

Comments

Amazing Science

[Wrexen]

Team leader Dr Ping Koy Lam says it involved creating a laser beam, its disembodiment and the recreation of the original beam in a different location

The team was understood to be using a device known to insiders as a "video camera", although how it functions exactly was not disclosed during their press release

Re:I'm not getting in one of those things

[interiot]

Even if it's a perfect copy, it's not worth the risk.

What if they could scan the original you, make sure they have two or three backups first, and confirm several long checksums of the backups versus the copied you, before they killed the original you? Would it be acceptable then?

Re:Question

[ObviousGuy]

Can anyone give a layman's explanation of how the information is getting passed from point a to point b?

Magic.

DMCA violation?

[aozilla]

As any teleportation device could clearly be used to replicate 'N Sync CDs, its use will be obviously be prohibited by the DMCA.

Re:Teleportation, or recreating?

[kubrick]

And on the other end they would reconstruct your matter based on that data. But what if recreating one of you, they would recreate two of you.... But my self-preservation instinct doesn't like that idea, and I bet neither does yours.

What could possibly be more self-preserving than being able to keep backups? :)

Re:I'm not getting in one of those things

[discogravy]

As long as those are legitimate back ups, and just for back up purposes, sure.

It's bad enough people are sharing music and movies over the net, the last thing we need is people to start sharing themselves online!

oh, wait...

Practical Application?

[NetRanger]

I have a great idea for a device which will employ this new technology...

How about a device that will teleport the laser back into the eye of the dumbass teenager shooting his laser pointer on the movie theater screen?

Obligatory Douglas Adams Quote

[JimPooley]

I teleported home one night,
With Ron and Sid and Meg.
Ron stole Meggie's heart away,
And I got Sidney's leg.