History Main / ExpositionBeam

* In ''Film/{{Outlander}}'', the spaceship's computer informs Kainan that he's crashed in ancient Norway, then somehow beams the Norse language into his brain via his eyeballs. The process is extremely painful.

* In the Franchise/MarvelUniverse Crossover event ''ComicBook/HouseOfM'', the entire world is "reformatted", and everyone on Earth has their memory altered so that they don't remember the world as it once was. Conveniently, somebody finds a mutant whose power is to restore people's memories back to normal by touching them.
* During Grant Morrison's run on the ''Franchise/{{Justice League|of America}}'', ComicBook/MartianManhunter had this ability. He once shoved Martian piloting skills into Batman's brain so he could handle a Martian ship.
* In ''ComicBook/SupermanUpInTheSky'', Superman attempts to use the zeta beam -- an intergalactic communications/teleportation beam from the ''ComicBook/AdamStrange'' books -- to gain information on the whereabouts of a girl who was kidnapped and taken somewhere far into the depths of space. Sardath warns Superman that this is a ''terrible'' idea because an active zeta exists everywhere all at once, meaning that the information would not only be impossible to sort through, [[MySkullRunnethOver it would probably crush his mind and kill him]]. Fortunately, [[{{Determinator}} Superman isn't built like most mortal minds]], and after experiencing various trippy and traumatic visions, he manages to guess the girl's location, as well as identify her name: Alice.

* ''Film/DarkCity1998'' has an Exposition ''Syringe''. [[spoiler:Doctor Schreber wants to give John a fighting chance against the [[RealityWarper reality warping]] Strangers, so he fills the Syringe with both exposition and [[UpgradeArtifact a lifetime of experience]] in using his matter manipulating powers. [[CurbstompBattle Carnage ensued]].]]

* In the first ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' novel, [[TheWoobie Tobias]] stays behind with [[TelepathicSpacemen Elfangor]] for a bit longer than the others and gets a blast of random information, including how Yeerk pools work. Elfangor also demonstrates the abilities to show the Animorphs mental pictures as well as talk to them telepathically. Other than the existence of Yeerk pools, [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness none of this ever comes up again]].

* In ''Literature/DownAndOutInTheMagicKingdom'', where brain uploading is a reality, the keepers of Disney World are working on a more Exposition Beam-like version, where you can go to the Hall of Presidents and come away with the impression of having ''been'' Abraham Lincoln.
* Creator/VernorVinge's ''Literature/AFireUponTheDeep'' has "godshatter", which is basically a massive Exposition Beam from SufficientlyAdvancedAliens. It would probably be super helpful if the [[BlessedWithSuck seemingly random jumble of information]] didn't [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity turn the person into an erratic, drooling savant]] for most of the time.

* In the ''Owl'' trilogy of the ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' series, the protagonists are allies of a species of [[IntellectualAnimal sentient, telepathic deerlike creatures]] called ''dyheli''. Their PsychicPowers are such that their leader can download an entire language into a character's head, granting instant fluency. The languages conveniently come with memories for explaining context, and the ability is occasionally used with other information as well. The lesser [[{{Telepathy}} Mindspeech]] used by Heralds and their [[BondCreatures Companions]] is usually straightforward mental communication, but they can read surface thoughts or implant memories more quickly than speech at need.

* In ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'', Slartibartfast asks Arthur to hold a couple of wires, and he suddenly finds himself floating above Deep Thought in what he eventually realises is some kind of documentary. Parodied in ''Literature/LifeTheUniverseAndEverything'', when Slarty uses the same technology to show Ford and Arthur a documentary about Krikkit, but can't figure out how to fast-forward past the adverts.

* ''Literature/RevelationSpace'' by Creator/AlastairReynolds. The female protagonist has an implanted memory that activates at a suitable moment of the plot.
* ''Literature/SkylarkSeries'': headsets are frequently used to transfer knowledge and skills directly from one brain to another, either as education, or as [[MindRape interrogation]].

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': In the season 5 finale, Rick gives Morty a brain scanner to quickly explain his true backstory as well as the origin for the Council of Ricks.

-->-- ''Series/{{Watchmen|2019}}''

When BackStory or other [[{{Exposition}} crucial information]] needs to be delivered quickly from character to character (and we do mean quickly, TalkingIsAFreeAction is ''not'' in effect), some characters will use {{telepathy}}, {{hologram}}s, or [[NeuralImplanting direct-to-brain downloads]] to inform others. This also has the benefit of making even the staunchest skeptic ''at least'' give the expositor the benefit of the doubt, especially when they have up until this point been living under the {{Masquerade}}.

* A ''lot'' of films about invading aliens or monsters use this trope to explain what's going on, given that the invaders aren't likely to offer an accounting of themselves to humans. Often this involves an accidental or intentional MindMeld with one of the aliens/monsters, as per ''Film/IndependenceDay'', ''Film/{{Slither}}'', or ''Film/PacificRim''. Used as TheUnreveal in ''Film/JeepersCreepers 3'', in which two of the ''characters'' receive visions of what the Creeper actually is, but the ''audience'' isn't shown what they've seen.

* In ''Film/BattlefieldEarth'' the feral humans are educated with an alien device, nominally to assist them in mining valuable minerals but in reality giving them knowledge of the alien language, care and feeding of advanced weapons as well as the means to engineer their oppressor's downfall.

* In the original ''Film/TotalRecall1990'', Kuato does this to unlock Quaid's [[LaserGuidedAmnesia locked memories]]. In a sense, the story itself is set in motion because the {{Fake Memor|ies}}y-implanting machines in the Rekall center jostle Quaid's hidden memories (or worked perfectly).

* ''Film/{{Underworld|2003}}'': Vampires gain some memories from those whose blood they drink; if they feed their blood to another vampire, they can transmit specific memories, though the technique is difficult. Selene tries this when she wakes an elder from hibernation in an emergency and the elder is quite annoyed by how garbled her bloodborne debrief is.

* ''Film/DarkCity'' has an Exposition ''Syringe''. [[spoiler:Doctor Schreber wants to give John a fighting chance against the [[RealityWarper reality warping]] Strangers, so he fills the Syringe with both exposition and [[UpgradeArtifact a lifetime of experience]] in using his matter manipulating powers. [[CurbstompBattle Carnage ensued.]] ]]
* In the movie version of ''Film/TheGreenMile'', John Coffey does this to Tom Hanks' character by grabbing his hand and showing him a vision of what Wild Bill did.

* ''Film/MenInBlack II'' has the Deneuralizer, which undoes [[LaserGuidedAmnesia what the Neuralizer does]].
** In the third movie, Griffin does this to the colonel to help him understand the importance of J and K's mission.

* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty''