# Star Trek Holodeck with safties on? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 3, 2015, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-holodeck-with-safties-on/721549 "2015-06-03T17:03:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-holodeck-with-safties-on/721549/21 "2015-06-04T12:00:24Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I’m curious how that could be made potentially lethal - the holodeck has, what, a four- or five-meter ceiling? Assuming there is perfect control of local gravity coordinated with holographic scenery, so the holodeck could make a person hover, generate a wind force from below and adjust the scenery to create a perfect illusion of falling, but how much damage could you suffer from hitting the ground/floor? Can the holodeck hover you at 4 meters, then crank up the local gravity to 20g so you hit the floor in 0.202 seconds at 143 kph? Ouch. If I recall correctly, the issue wasn’t whether or not she’d pancake, it was whether or not she’d burn up on re-entry. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-holodeck-with-safties-on/721549/22 "2015-06-04T12:03:09Z")
> [@simster](#): > > The episode where Geordi was using the holodeck to work on the engines - everytime he blew up the ship, the holodeck went blank. > > Thats likely as close as you get - I’d also guess that depending on your activity at the time, you’re likely to be running/cussing/falling as appropriate. That’s what I remember, it just ends the simulation at that point and you get dumped onto the hologrid. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-holodeck-with-safties-on/721549/23 "2015-06-04T17:05:43Z")
Just be sure that you’re in [the right room](http://www.gocomics.com/brewsterrockit/2004/10/17) to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-holodeck-with-safties-on/721549/24 "2015-06-04T17:29:04Z")
> [@grude](#): > > It would be like if you could turn off the safety on the food replicator and have it make a cup cake with cyanide in it, or earl grey with a lethal dose of caffeine. There is no legit need for food with fatal poison in it, so it would be a hard coded limitation with no off switch because it would be used for suicide or murdering other crew. Except that with a multi-species crew, one man’s poison is another man’s essential nutrient. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-holodeck-with-safties-on/721549/25 "2015-06-04T21:51:52Z")
Well, if it counts for anything, Voyager’s “Threshold” had a character piloting a shuttle in a holodeck engineering simulation—when the simulated shuttle was destroyed, the entire program ended, leaving the character sitting on the deck in a bare room. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-holodeck-with-safties-on/721549/26 "2015-06-04T22:11:56Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Except that with a multi-species crew, one man’s poison is another man’s essential nutrient. Well…very good point you have there… But there has to be some kind of safety protocol or anytime a human crew member is feeling adventurous at lunch and decides to try Ulgorna’ gtahlgh type 5 for lunch leads to a fatality or med bay emergency…nah has to be some kind of protocol. Maybe customized food replicator profiles for each species? There was one ep in TNG where Riker preparing for a exchange program with a Klingon ship replicates a bunch of Klingon food, to like said random curiosity leads to potentially fatal mistakes. Has to be a safety, imagine how dangerous a grocery in San Francisco would be for a random species in the ST universe otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-holodeck-with-safties-on/721549/27 "2015-06-05T00:44:48Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Well…very good point you have there… > > But there has to be some kind of safety protocol or anytime a human crew member is feeling adventurous at lunch and decides to try Ulgorna’ gtahlgh type 5 for lunch leads to a fatality or med bay emergency…nah has to be some kind of protocol… The Computer would replicate a facsimile of Ulgorna’ gtahlgh type 5 that’s both non-lethal and completely healthy for humans.T here was an episode where Deana order a “real hot fudge sundae” from the replicator. The Computer gave her multiple warnings, and she had enter a command override. Another episode had Dr Pulaski having a Klingon tea ceremony with Work (Klingon tea being _fatal_ to humans); after having replicated (off-screen) both the tea and the antidote she needed to take immediately to avoid dying. ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-holodeck-with-safties-on/721549/28 "2015-06-05T15:48:04Z")
I’m guessing the OP never played paintball. My first time, it was cold and rainy out, a real miserable day. As soon as the game started, nobody noticed the cold: we were all too busy satying “alive” and working towards the goal. No danger involved, other than trip hazards or maybe getting a paintball in the eyes if you were silly enough to take your goggles off. Engaging? Totally. Actual fear of death isn’t required to have a good time “playing army”. Hell, it’s not even required to have fun jumping off a cliff into water. Even from 15 feet that scares the hell outta me. Big fun! ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-holodeck-with-safties-on/721549/29 "2015-06-05T17:07:07Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Except that with a multi-species crew, one man’s poison is another man’s essential nutrient. There are certain substances the replicator will not provide, such as [Nogatch hemlock](http://en.memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Nogatch_hemlock). ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-holodeck-with-safties-on/721549/30 "2015-06-05T17:39:39Z")
What, you want Sauron taking over the Enterprise when you run you LotR simulation? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-holodeck-with-safties-on/721549.md?page=1)