Scientists at the MonDieu, Dongwinthere, Aust. research laboratory (a subsidiary of the Travesty Institute), are elated with the test results on their latest project.

A spokesman, who declined to be identified for ethical reasons, told of the years of "hard slog, disappointments and finally joy" when the search for a solution to the saving and passing on of memory finally appeared.

"Think about it" he said, "people learn so many things throughout their lives, and then go and die, and all that knowledge is lost, so we set out to find a way to capture that knowledge in a form that can be passed on".

The device which allows this procedure to take place appears similar to the caps worn by patients having brain scans, but the commercial versions will be much less conspicuous. In fact, you will be able to pick up a baseball cap and not realise that the hardware is already installed inside it.

You will just sit there in front of your computer screen, and in a twinkling of an eye, you will possess a perfect memory of whatever event you have chosen to download. Royalties are expected to be immense, as customers flock to download the memories of their favourite stars, and more than a few celebrities are waiting to hop on the band-wagon, willing to not only kiss- and-tell, but pass on the memories as well.

Tourism is likely to be a little slow to take up the new technology, because, as one operator put it, "we make our living out of sending people to different places", but our spokesman pointed out, "all they have to do is send one person to where-ever, get them back, retrieve their memories of the trip then sell the downloadable memory to the would-be tourist. Easier all round really, -no packing, no flights, no accommodation problems".

"We knew we were on a winner shortly after one of our test units went missing" said the MonDieu spokesman, "when we had a call from a U.S. State Penitentiary asking for help to process the 3,000 overnight confessions of the Boston Strangler, - all complete with details known only to the person involved."