What's the most improbable aspect of the Trek universe?

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Re: What's the most improbable aspect of the Trek universe?

Post by Tyyr »

The problem with the economics of Trek is that its too contradictory to assemble any real kind of working model for without running afoul of some quote made off hand.
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Re: What's the most improbable aspect of the Trek universe?

Post by The piman »

speaking of replicators, was there ever any significant info. on how the heck the machine actually works? is it taking matter from someplace else and transporting it to a specific spot or does it create some sort of temporary energy-matter combination acting as a substitute for regular matter?
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Re: What's the most improbable aspect of the Trek universe?

Post by Tyyr »

In the show? Not that I know of besides the occasional reference to it being similar to the transporters.
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Re: What's the most improbable aspect of the Trek universe?

Post by Sionnach Glic »

IIRC, we heard reference to some sort of "replicator stock" before. If I do indeed recall correctly, then that would suggest that replicators have some sort of storage tank that's filled up with matter (presumably pretty much anything could be used - such as the boots made from shit on ENT) which the replicator then transforms into the required object.
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Re: What's the most improbable aspect of the Trek universe?

Post by Coalition »

Sionnach Glic wrote:IIRC, we heard reference to some sort of "replicator stock" before. If I do indeed recall correctly, then that would suggest that replicators have some sort of storage tank that's filled up with matter (presumably pretty much anything could be used - such as the boots made from s**t on ENT) which the replicator then transforms into the required object.
You then get into the single-bit errors, where people can actually taste it slightly different (Picard and caviar), and the pattern of the errors can tell you which empire built it ("The Mind's Eye"). Not to mention cewrtain things are still built with non-replication methods (the warp conduit from "Phantasms").

So I'd argue that replicators are used to make lots of custom items, and take up little space relatively. Like another tool in a modern machine shop.
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Re: What's the most improbable aspect of the Trek universe?

Post by Mikey »

Coalition wrote:cewrtain things are still built with non-replication methods
A fair number of common things, actually. It's been an old saw of 'Trek that warp coils are strictly non-replicatable; latinum, certainly, or else it wouldn't have any value as currency; and, according to TNG, steel hatch covers.
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Re: What's the most improbable aspect of the Trek universe?

Post by Tyyr »

That fucking hatch cover... ugh.
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Re: What's the most improbable aspect of the Trek universe?

Post by Graham Kennedy »

When did TNG say that?
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Re: What's the most improbable aspect of the Trek universe?

Post by Sionnach Glic »

In fairness, I don't think it was ever stated what the hatch was made from - just that it couldn't replicate a hatch. It's possible that the hatch required may simply have been too big to replicate.
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Re: What's the most improbable aspect of the Trek universe?

Post by Graham Kennedy »

Which hatch is this?
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Re: What's the most improbable aspect of the Trek universe?

Post by Sionnach Glic »

I can't remember. I'll see if I can look it up.
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