AVERIUM

On Orban, urrone children acquire knowledge through a system of nanites, and at age 12 they undergo the averium, a ceremony in which an urrone's nanites are removed. Each adult and non-urrone child then receives an injection containing one nanite, which becomes a part of their synaptic networks, adding to those received from previous averiums, thus passing on knowledge literally. The removal of nanites makes past-urrone children completely unresponsive. Their brains would reject new nanites, and although Orbanians believed they could not be taught, they were well cared for. The Orbanians fiercely defend the averium as a means of passing on knowledge, and consider it a great honor, but knowledge gained from Merrin's averium allowed past-urrone children to continue to learn in a more traditional way.

Cross Reference: Kalan, Merrin, Nanites, Nano-Technology, Orban, Orbanians, Solen, Tomin, Urrone

Episode Reference: Learning Curve