# Star Trek technology we need NOW! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689 "2002-10-24T14:57:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [October 24, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/1 "2002-10-24T14:57:18Z")
A post by Bomzaway on another thread of mine made me think about this. **What technology from Star Trek would be really useful today?** My number one vote goes to **Replicators** ---
**Author:** ![poohpah\_chalupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@poohpah\_chalupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poohpah_chalupa)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/2 "2002-10-24T15:58:53Z")
Well, if we had _transporters_, I wouldn’t have to spend so much time on the freeway every morning. and night. avoiding accidents. ugh. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/3 "2002-10-24T16:00:09Z")
Indeed. Assuming you have a power source capable of maintaining matter/energy conversion and a stockpile of raw elements and compounds, you’ll have a virtually limitless supply of consumables at the press of the putton. Nothing made at the quantum resolution (living biomatter, warp coils, certain parts of a replicator itself). For a replicator of a certain size and power level, there is an upper limit to the mass/volume of the object being replicated. If you had the industrial power to replicate entire starships at once,_you wouldn’t need to._ 😉 An entire socio/economic system based on replicator technology…with a replicator in every home… would basically render most modern economic systems obsolete. The world would shift from a product to a service based system. Money would also probably disappear, with people only struggling to better themselves…basically the Federation of Picard. If you have replicators, you must also have transporters. Moving things to and from a distance, instantly, would have interesting consequences for a number of situations: Instant travel, taking water from a flood and putting it in a drought, putting up sattelites and taking down space junk, etc. ---
**Author:** ![effac3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@effac3d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/effac3d)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/4 "2002-10-24T16:01:02Z")
My vote goes to those hand held devices that regenerate any tissue damage. Love to have one of those suckers in my medicine cabinet. ---
**Author:** ![Pabitel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Pabitel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pabitel)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/5 "2002-10-24T17:03:11Z")
I’m gonna have to go with the hollodeck. It always reminded me of George Carlin’s schtick about dogs licking themselves. “If I could do that I’d never leave the apartment!” ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/6 "2002-10-24T17:12:39Z")
Simply, Phazers. ---
**Author:** ![Thanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce7236/32.png) [@Thanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thanz)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/7 "2002-10-24T17:45:56Z")
The only things you really need are the transporters and the main deflector dish. Any problem can be solved by routing **something** through either the transporter or main deflector array. ---
**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:** [October 24, 2002, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/8 "2002-10-24T20:55:15Z")
**Degrance** , remember the immortal words of Scott Adams: “As soon as virtual reality becomes cheaper than dating, society is doomed.” 😉 Ranchoth (“He’s been on the Holodeck since March.”) ---
**Author:** ![Spudo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Spudo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spudo)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/9 "2002-10-24T21:20:25Z")
To save the world: Replicators To kill Hollywood: Holodecks Just for me: Phasers ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/10 "2002-10-25T00:06:00Z")
An off-switch for children (ref: [The Offspring](http://www.startrek.com/library/tng_episodes/episodes_tng_detail_68434.asp)). ---
**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:** [October 25, 2002, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/11 "2002-10-25T00:11:13Z")
> [@](#): > > An off-switch for children (ref: The Offspring). I always thought someone at Paramount was a Douglas Adams fan, his stuff keeps showing up. Now if we could only design a fly that knows how to go out through an open window… ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/12 "2002-10-25T00:22:55Z")
If holodecks existed, i wouldn’t buy one, fo r i would die, just based on the amount of time i spend playing GTA3 or Warcraft. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/13 "2002-10-25T01:48:27Z")
I’ll settle for warp drive. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/14 "2002-10-25T02:47:37Z")
An android that’s fully functional and programmed in multiple techniques of pleasure. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/15 "2002-10-25T04:08:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Enderw24 \* > \*\*An android that’s fully functional and programmed in multiple techniques of pleasure. \*\* The already have that; it’s called “Madonna”. [sub]…Whaddya mean she’s not a robot? How do you explain her acting?..[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/16 "2002-10-25T04:29:34Z")
I could go for a bat’leth. Okay, so it’s not heavy duty technology, but still… I think I’d have to go for transporter technology, too – think about how much time you’d save just **not** dealing with traffic. And I wouldn’t mind having one of those _Defiant_ class ships, for myself. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/17 "2002-10-25T05:18:21Z")
A communicator insignia pin. And a universal translator. ---
**Author:** ![lokij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@lokij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lokij)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/18 "2002-10-25T05:36:05Z")
Why would a replicator like technology be dependent upon “Transporter” technology? I would imagine you could have something very very similar to a replicator with sufficiently advanced nanotechnology. Program box, add raw materials… wait for the buzzer… open box and enjoy end product of billions of tiny robotic assemblers. My vote is for artificial gravity, with artificial gravity alot of interesting things become possible. ---
**Author:** ![Zorro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ad7895/32.png) [@Zorro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zorro)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/19 "2002-10-25T08:08:40Z")
This is a slight deviation from the subject, but how come no-one is Starfleet ever exploits the mind-boggling practical joking portential of all their kit. For instance, they could relieve the tedium of long-distance space travel by erecting weak force fields over the gents’ urinals or by beaming crew members out of the shower and onto the bridge. Maybe in the 24th Century people don’t think that such childish pranks are amusing. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2002, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689/20 "2002-10-25T13:48:05Z")
Wow! I got on “Threadspotting.” Thanks guys. One other piece of Star Trek technology I would like to have is whatever it is that gives thme the ability to have sound in space. "Cause real life interstellar space is just too damn quiet. 30th century time travel would be cool, too. I could finally take back those stupid things I’ve posted elsewhere… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-technology-we-need-now/133689.md?page=2)