[Philip Lelyveld comment; a perfect example of how technology is morally neutral. He never mentions Stuxnet, the virus spread via USB sticks to harm the Iranian nuclear program.]
His idea is simple: create a self-replicating bootable USB stick that holds an operating system and any software that needs to run on it. This stick is self-replicating in the sense that it can copy its contents to another USB stick with just a few clicks and no expert knowledge.
He has written a script that clones the contents of one USB stick to another of sufficient size. It copies only the designated software, without copying any personal data on the first stick (except for any stored in a special /shared folder). It also preserves any data already on the second stick.
Of course, there are potential disadvantages with this method. The first and most significant is the potential for malware to enter the chain somewhere. Because of this, Monteil recommends that it is used only for short distance communication: in a classroom, for example, where there is not enough time between cloning events for malware to be added.
See the full story here: http://www.technologyreview.com/view/522166/self-replicating-usbs-spread-software-faster-than-an-internet-connection/?utm_campaign=newsletters&utm_source=newsletter-daily-all&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20131203