Telelocum

Telelocum is a term used in speculative science and science fiction to describe a hypothetical method for relocating physical systems across space without conventional travel. In its broad sense, telelocum refers to any process that transfers the arrangement of a system from one location to another, either by capturing a detailed state and reconstructing it remotely or by some nonlocal transport mechanism. In many treatments, telelocum is presented as a form of teleportation distinct from the direct movement of matter, instead focusing on the relocation of information about a system that is then used to reconstruct its matter at the destination.

Etymology and usage: The word blends tele- meaning far and locum from Latin for place, and has appeared in speculative discourse since the late 20th century to name a class of imagined technologies. It is commonly used as an umbrella term for various imagined mechanisms rather than a single defined device.

Mechanisms: Telelocum concepts generally fall into two families. One envisions scanning a target object’s complete physical state, transmitting the data, and using local resources to reconstruct an identical copy at the destination, raising questions about continuity of identity and conservation. The other imagines nonlocal transport via entangled networks or field reconfiguration, bypassing the need for full state reconstruction. Both face practical obstacles including enormous information bandwidth, energy demands, and potential conflicts with no-cloning or causality as understood today.

Applications and reception: In fiction and theoretical discussions, telelocum serves as a device to explore identity, ethics, and the implications of exact replication versus relocation. It remains outside established experimental physics and is treated as a conceptual or narrative tool rather than a proven technology.