Quantum Teleportation
JUST ABOUT EVERYONE WISHES WE HAD TELEPORTERS.  

(Sfx: "beam me up" and teleporter noise) 

YOU KNOW, THE THING ON STAR TREK THAT CAN ZAP A PERSON
INSTANTANEOUSLY FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER?  IT'S GOING TO BE
AWHILE BEFORE WE HAVE THEM IN REAL LIFE, BUT SCIENTISTS HAVE RECENTLY
DEVELOPED A VERSION OF TELEPORTATION USING TINY PARTICLES.  IT ALL
RELIES ON SOMETHING CALLED "ENTANGLEMENT," SAYS MECHANICAL
ENGINEER SETH LLOYD AT MIT.

Lloyd: "Entanglement is a weird quantum phenomenon which doesn't
show up in the macroscopic world.  The analogy is identical twins. . .that do
all sorts of things the same way."

SO LET'S SAY I WANT TO TELEPORT TO YOU A PHOTON--WE'LL NAME IT
CAPTAIN KIRK.  WE EACH HAVE ONE OF THESE ENTANGLED PHOTONS.  LIKE
IDENTICAL TWINS, THESE TWO PHOTONS MIGHT TRAVEL FAR APART, BUT
SOMEHOW, THEY ALWAYS MYSTERIOUSLY SHARE CHARACTERISTICS WITH THE
OTHER ONE.  THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY IDENTICAL, MORE LIKE TWO SIDES OF A
COIN.  SO, LET'S SAY I HAVE HEADS AND YOU HAVE TAILS.   I TAKE MY HEADS
PHOTON AND ENTANGLE IT WITH THE KIRK PHOTON.  NOW MY HEADS
PHOTON IS ENTANGLED BOTH WITH KIRK AND WITH YOUR TAIL PHOTON FAR
AWAY.  WHICH MEANS THAT THERE ARE TWO TAILS WHICH MATCH MY
HEADS--THOSE TWO TAILS MUST BE IDENTICAL.  YOUR PHOTON IS NOW
IDENTICAL TO THE KIRK PHOTON.  YOU DIDN'T GET THE KIRK PHOTON
SPECIFICALLY BUT IT'S AS GOOD AS IF YOU DID.

Lloyd: "It would be indistinguishable by any measure from what you had
originally."

OF COURSE, I SKIPPED THE PART ABOUT HOW YOU ENTANGLE, WHICH IS
COMPLICATED.  AND I SKIPPED THE PART ABOUT HOW THE PHOTONS DON'T
HAVE ANY CHARACTERISTICS AT ALL -- KIND OF LIVING IN A FUZZY BLANK
CANVAS STATE --  UNTIL YOU EXAMINE THEM.  AND I SKIPPED THE PART
WHERE I ACTUALLY HAVE TO DESTROY KIRK BEFORE TELEPORTING HIM.  

Lloyd: "I personally would not want to volunteer at the moment to step into
that teporter."

(Sfx: "Check that, don't beam me anywhere!)

BUT WE'RE GETTING CLOSER!