Post by Dora Resistance on Mar 24, 2006 10:52:58 GMT -5
As Olivia brought this subject up in another thread, I thought I'd give a short lesson on it!
Here's Olivia's words. : I am partial to the ideals that the federation represents... replicator technology makes resources infinitely abundant, thus eliminating a key factor in basic economics: scarcity of material goods.
Joy
! Activating lecture mode!
As always, very well said, and some very good points here! However, Olivia, replicator technology can't QUITE make matter out of energy, and there is a store of very basic molecules and even proteins on board every starship, without which it would not be possible to create anything.
(As for the holodecks, much of what is created there is not replicated matter at all, but Holograms and sophisticated, textured forcefields. Even the young lady's arm you caress in the seedy bar, 'Commander Riker' is created from moving forcefields, that feel like skin, are warmed like skin, and look like skin. The only replicated objects are those that are either going to be ingested, or used in a very personal way. (Get your minds out of the gutter, people!) In one episode, Data attempts to beam 'matter' out of the holodeck... an attempt that fails. (Why he ever thought it might work is quite beyond me... maybe he's got a fantasy chip next to his physics chip, in that silly positronic brain of his.)
(But!) you shout. (What about those bullets Picard shot the Borg with on the holodeck?)
I'm so glad you asked. The holodeck indeed could be a deadly weapon, one beyond the Borgs ability to adapt to. The bullets MAY have been replicated lead projectiles... but more likely they were forcefields with bullet shape and velocity. Either way, an attack from that the Borg were not ready for.
(On a side side note, Borg lovers everywhere, Borg are NOT invincible. While they have the capacity to adapt to nearly any attack, the resources this takes in the Borgs energy supply, and in the materials the Borg has at hand are quite considerable. If every Borg was immune to every weapon that had been used on any other Borg at any given moment, then the Borg would have to be several stories tall each, just to carry all the defenses needed. lol. I'm quite certain SOME primitive race tried shooting the invading Borg with Lead... all the local Borg just addapted... to that attack, specifically, at that time.)
Positronics, by the way, is a concept coined by Issac Asimov, who thought that if electronic brains were neat, Positrons had to be even neater.
(What about transporters you ask?)
Good question young skywalker!
Do you remember certain transporter techs saying, "I canna keep the matter stream steady!"
A matter stream. Propelled by a high intensity beam of energy, particles of matter are sent to the destination and then recreated. (How they do this with out a receiver on the other end I really don't know. Blame the early Trek budgets for that one. lol)
This matter stream explains why all transporters are very short range, and so slow to 'energize'. Because the matter stream can only move at a fraction, (though a large fraction) of the speed of light.
(In case your wondering, this is not strictly 'official' trek speak, as my copy of Rick Berman's book is on my brother-in-law's book shelf. But it's fairly close.)
I still think all replicated food tastes a bit like chicken.
Here's Olivia's words. : I am partial to the ideals that the federation represents... replicator technology makes resources infinitely abundant, thus eliminating a key factor in basic economics: scarcity of material goods.
Joy
! Activating lecture mode!As always, very well said, and some very good points here! However, Olivia, replicator technology can't QUITE make matter out of energy, and there is a store of very basic molecules and even proteins on board every starship, without which it would not be possible to create anything.
(As for the holodecks, much of what is created there is not replicated matter at all, but Holograms and sophisticated, textured forcefields. Even the young lady's arm you caress in the seedy bar, 'Commander Riker' is created from moving forcefields, that feel like skin, are warmed like skin, and look like skin. The only replicated objects are those that are either going to be ingested, or used in a very personal way. (Get your minds out of the gutter, people!) In one episode, Data attempts to beam 'matter' out of the holodeck... an attempt that fails. (Why he ever thought it might work is quite beyond me... maybe he's got a fantasy chip next to his physics chip, in that silly positronic brain of his.)
(But!) you shout. (What about those bullets Picard shot the Borg with on the holodeck?)
I'm so glad you asked. The holodeck indeed could be a deadly weapon, one beyond the Borgs ability to adapt to. The bullets MAY have been replicated lead projectiles... but more likely they were forcefields with bullet shape and velocity. Either way, an attack from that the Borg were not ready for.
(On a side side note, Borg lovers everywhere, Borg are NOT invincible. While they have the capacity to adapt to nearly any attack, the resources this takes in the Borgs energy supply, and in the materials the Borg has at hand are quite considerable. If every Borg was immune to every weapon that had been used on any other Borg at any given moment, then the Borg would have to be several stories tall each, just to carry all the defenses needed. lol. I'm quite certain SOME primitive race tried shooting the invading Borg with Lead... all the local Borg just addapted... to that attack, specifically, at that time.)
Positronics, by the way, is a concept coined by Issac Asimov, who thought that if electronic brains were neat, Positrons had to be even neater.
(What about transporters you ask?)
Good question young skywalker!
Do you remember certain transporter techs saying, "I canna keep the matter stream steady!"
A matter stream. Propelled by a high intensity beam of energy, particles of matter are sent to the destination and then recreated. (How they do this with out a receiver on the other end I really don't know. Blame the early Trek budgets for that one. lol)
This matter stream explains why all transporters are very short range, and so slow to 'energize'. Because the matter stream can only move at a fraction, (though a large fraction) of the speed of light.
(In case your wondering, this is not strictly 'official' trek speak, as my copy of Rick Berman's book is on my brother-in-law's book shelf. But it's fairly close.)
I still think all replicated food tastes a bit like chicken.
