# Did any Star Trek episode have a character with no job? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 5, 2016, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-star-trek-episode-have-a-character-with-no-job/773913 "2016-12-05T07:40:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-star-trek-episode-have-a-character-with-no-job/773913/141 "2016-12-15T00:27:21Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > My personal fanwank is that humanity has been genetically modified to no longer be lazy or particularly greedy, in the Star Trek universe. > > Of course, Roddenberry thought that we could get there through good ol’ elbow grease, but I’m less optimistic about our ability to triumph all that well over evolution through nothing but rationality and cultural shifts. I remember an episode of DS9 where O’Brien implies that 24th century humans are somehow better than 20th century humans. Considering the fact that some 20th century humans seem to think the ancient Egyptians were incapable of building the pyramids by themselves, that could have just been his opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-star-trek-episode-have-a-character-with-no-job/773913/142 "2016-12-15T02:43:46Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Anyone care to calculate and compare the amounts of energy needed to replicate things on an industrial scale and to manufacture them conventionally? > > This includes harvesting, mining, refining, and everything else required to produce raw materials. Star Trek is a science fiction universe where the Laws of Physics are fundamentally different from ours. That’s the only way to explain away the nonsense. Like, if replicators create matter from energy, then where are they getting that much energy? You could say ‘anti-matter’, but you’d need more anti-matter than the mass of whatever thing you’re making, given the conversions, storage, etc, which then brings us to “where the fuck are you getting free planetary volumes of anti-matter?” ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-star-trek-episode-have-a-character-with-no-job/773913/143 "2016-12-15T03:39:25Z")
The energy comes from dilithium, which is a powerhouse of energy. It powers the warp drives and everything else. You can replicate dilithium, of course, but there’s a net loss of energy, so it’s more effective to find natural dilithium. The same as it is today: we can build gold in a nuclear reactor, but the energy cost is more than its value. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-star-trek-episode-have-a-character-with-no-job/773913/144 "2016-12-15T04:42:36Z")
I don’t think Jason Vigo had a job. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-star-trek-episode-have-a-character-with-no-job/773913/145 "2016-12-15T14:20:33Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Like, if replicators create matter from energy, then where are they getting that much energy? You could say ‘anti-matter’, but you’d need more anti-matter than the mass of whatever thing you’re making, given the conversions, storage, etc, which then brings us to “where the fuck are you getting free planetary volumes of anti-matter?” Take today’s Walmart. Extrapolate the amount of stuff they sell into the 24th century. Also extrapolate their decreasing cost per unit item into the 24th century. Viola. Free massive volumes of anything you want. Of course they still have to destroy Taco Bell during the corporation wars somewhere along the way. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-star-trek-episode-have-a-character-with-no-job/773913/146 "2016-12-15T14:40:59Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > The energy comes from dilithium, which is a powerhouse of energy. So it contains far more energy than the mass it contains? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-star-trek-episode-have-a-character-with-no-job/773913/147 "2016-12-15T15:02:36Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > So it contains far more energy than the mass it contains? :dubious: No real answer to that specific question, but [dilithium](http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Dilithium) is a vital part of the [matter/anti-matter exchange making warp fields possible.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilithium_(Star_Trek)) Treknology, man! ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-star-trek-episode-have-a-character-with-no-job/773913/148 "2016-12-15T16:38:03Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Like, if replicators create matter from energy, then where are they getting that much energy? You could say ‘anti-matter’, but you’d need more anti-matter than the mass of whatever thing you’re making, given the conversions, storage, etc, which then brings us to “where the fuck are you getting free planetary volumes of anti-matter?” Do replicators create matter from energy, or are they just taking a bunch of basic matter (a big lump of carbon somewhere in a hold, sewage, etc), and turning it into something else? The latter still seems like it would require a lot of effort, but not E=mc^2 levels of energy. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-star-trek-episode-have-a-character-with-no-job/773913/149 "2016-12-15T17:24:22Z")
> [@dzeiger](#): > > Do replicators create matter from energy, or are they just taking a bunch of basic matter (a big lump of carbon somewhere in a hold, sewage, etc), and turning it into something else? The latter still seems like it would require a lot of effort, but not E=mc^2 levels of energy. Maybe they’re using dark matter. Or maybe they’re sucking energy from parallel universes or the intercosmic vacuum. Makes perfect sense to me! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-star-trek-episode-have-a-character-with-no-job/773913/150 "2016-12-15T19:03:16Z")
> [@dzeiger](#): > > Do replicators create matter from energy, or are they just taking a bunch of basic matter (a big lump of carbon somewhere in a hold, sewage, etc), and turning it into something else? The latter still seems like it would require a lot of effort, but not E=mc^2 levels of energy. Probably lots of free protein floating around in the holodeck filter systems. Just don’t order up any clam chowder when Barkley has been eating asparagus. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-star-trek-episode-have-a-character-with-no-job/773913/151 "2016-12-15T19:09:58Z")
> [@dzeiger](#): > > Do replicators create matter from energy, or are they just taking a bunch of basic matter (a big lump of carbon somewhere in a hold, sewage, etc), and turning it into something else? The latter still seems like it would require a lot of effort, but not E=mc^2 levels of energy. Depends. If it is basic alchemy of taking element N and turning it into elements A-Z and all the chemical arrangements to make a sandwich, then yes, it is still going to take a fuckload of energy. Then there’s the whole 'does the Transporter actually break your mass into energy at your location (enough to put a serious dent in a planet) and then remotely suck it up somehow? Or is this just ‘magic’ relocation of molecules? ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-star-trek-episode-have-a-character-with-no-job/773913/152 "2016-12-15T19:23:46Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Not everything can be replicated to everyone’s satisfaction; chocolate beans, f’rinstance. Naturally grown ones will always be in demand. And there will always be those who prefer something artisanal, made by a real living being, rather than something produced by a soulless machine. didn’t Picard’s family own a very successful winery ? I remeber an episode where he goes home and had him and his family clearing the air over his “running off” to Starfleet ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-star-trek-episode-have-a-character-with-no-job/773913/153 "2016-12-16T18:01:08Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > didn’t Picard’s family own a very successful winery ? I remeber an episode where he goes home and had him and his family clearing the air over his “running off” to Starfleet Yeah, I mentioned it upthread, but I guess I chose a too-complex word for it to get any traction. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-star-trek-episode-have-a-character-with-no-job/773913/154 "2016-12-16T19:46:28Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Yeah, I mentioned it upthread, but I guess I chose a too-complex word for it to get any traction. I got it. I responded. Sort of. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-star-trek-episode-have-a-character-with-no-job/773913/155 "2016-12-17T00:15:00Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I got it. I responded. > > Sort of. I rather enjoyed your response! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-star-trek-episode-have-a-character-with-no-job/773913.md?page=7)