Teleporting the memories of an organism is possible, say scientists working on making the science-fiction phenomena come to life. They have come up with a theory that uses “quantum superposition” to place a microorganism in two places at once.

The Chinese physicists have drawn up a plan to use electromechanical oscillators and superconducting circuits to “teleport” the microbe. Its quantum state will be moved elsewhere, resulting in a big first step toward human teleportation.

Tongcang Li, co-author of the study from Purdue University, said: “We propose a straightforward method to put a microorganism in two places at the same time, and provide a scheme to teleport the quantum state of a microorganism.”

The experiment is based on a previous investigation by Erwin Schrödinger and his cat, which regular watchers of The Big Bang Theory will recognise as the theory of an organism being in two states at once (in the case of Schrödinger’s cat, both dead and alive).

The authors suggest that the real-life teleportation of an organism’s memories is possible though, in their report published in Science Bulletin. The idea involves using an everyday bacterium which has been frozen to a cryogenic state, to stop all chemical activity.

The bacterium would then be attached to an oscillating membrane, which theoretically would put it into a superposition state – a state which enables it to be in two places at once. Microwave circuits, followed by the use of a strong magnetic field for trapping the memories of the bacterium, can then be used for the actual teleportation.

Quantum superposition of an organism has never been done before, although studies have already shown the teleportation of photons, atoms and ions is possible.

“I hope our unconventional work will inspire more people to think seriously about quantum teleportation of a microorganism and its potential applications in future,” said Li.

Zhang-qi Yin, co-author from Tsinghua University, added: “Our work also provides insights for future studies about the effects of biochemical reactions in the wave function collapses of quantum superposition states of an organism.”

Many people recall a very different version of the Charlie Brown Halloween Special.

My real addition to this is my experience with “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown”. I recently got a VHS copy and watched it on Halloween. I remember seeing it as a child, and I remember a final scene where Linus and his sister are in the pumpkin patch. In my memory, Linus falls asleep, and the great pumpkin appears. His sister tries to wake him up, but he sleeps through it. In the ending, she tells him he missed it, and he says something to the extent of trying to see the Great Pumpkin next year. I have clear memories of this scene, and what the great pumpkin looks like. I was very surprised on my.recent viewing to find that this does not happen at all.

I phoned my mother to discuss this, and she remembered the scene clearly as well.

I replied:

Thanks for the comments! I’m 100% certain about the ending of the Charlie Brown Halloween Special. The Great Pumpkin (not just a shadow of Snoopy) definitely made an appearance. There isn’t a glimmer of doubt in my mind.

We’ll need to see if they changed the ending for later releases. (I checked Wikipedia. They list cut and changed scenes, but nothing like what you and I recall. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_the_Great_Pumpkin,_Charlie_Brown. I’ll keep looking because I’m absolutely certain of the ending, and I can’t think of another Charlie Brown special that I might be confusing with it.)

Do you recall the fast food chain as McDonald’s or MacDonald’s?
Golden Arches

This is an especially odd alternate memory, since the “golden arches” are such a familiar symbol, most Americans can describe the brand icon, Ronald McDonald, without having to look him up, online, and so on.

History in this reality: The original restaurant was started in 1940 by Dick and “Mac” McDonald. The restaurant was always McDonald’s.

If you recall the famous line from the Forrest Gump movie, which of the following did Forrest say?

a. “Life was like a box of chocolates…”

b. “Life is like a box of chocolates…”

The answer in this reality is A: “Life was like a box of chocolates…”

In my original response to this issue, I said: