Star Trek: A Replicator Question

[republican]

Not that it hasn't been fun, but I am just so tired of the heavy duty topics being discussed, so.... and I am genuinely curious.

I happened to flip to a Star Trek Voyager episode on my TV where Voyager was low on fuel.  To conserve energy the replicator use was limited.  To make the long story short, Captain Janeway lamented being denied her dose of coffee - leading to my question:

What exactly is a "replicator."  I'm curious whether there is some plausible/realistic mechanism/theory for the replicator?  It could be that it's pure fiction, but it seemed that many other jargons being thrown about did have scientific basis.

To "replicate" coffee, the machine must be either capable of (1) using some stored raw coffee ingredient (e.g., freezed dried beans?) and directly process it into a cup of steaming coffee; or (2) convert energy from "dilithium" into another form of energy (which would be a plausible physics theory), in this case heat??? in the form of hot liquid that synthesizes the taste of coffee.

So, it "replicator" a fancy form of mechanical chef or is it a type of energy converter?

[severne]

My husband is a Star Trek fan and here's what he says:

Replicators use a kind of raw matter slush, stored somewhere on the ship, which is used as the raw material for any replicated material. So they are a type of matter transformer/converter, rearranging the molecules in the slush into known forms of inanimate matter. The machine uses energy from the ship's generators as a power source in the same way our modern appliances use electricity. Replicators are used for more than just food. They're also used to replicate anything from spare parts for engineering, clothes for the crew, recreational materials, etc.

If you notice, after eating, they place the soiled plates and utensils back into the replicator so it can be transformed back into matter slush. (Boy, I wish we had one in our apartment!)

The replicator works on the same principle as the ship's holodeck or transporter in that they all "rearrange" molecules. As for its scientific basis, you'll be happy to know that most of the technology used on Star Trek shows are based on some form of current technology or theory. You'll actually find some books talking about the science of Trek if you're inclined to do so.

[This message has been edited by severne (edited 08-05-2002).]

[Bruno]

Why didn't they replicate some fuel ...

[severne]

In the early Trek days, I believe the machines weren't able to replicate the complex crystalline structure of dilithium fuel. It's the reason the Federation is always looking for sources of dilithium to mine (thus helping many of the episode plots).

In the modern Trek, I'm not so sure if they *can* synthesize dilithium already, but at the very least it's probably inefficient for them to do so. It would consume more energy than the final product would be able to produce.

This is the same argument used to answer the question, "Why doesn't the Federation just replicate starships?" Such a procedure, though possible, would not be feasible due to the large amounts of energy required to replicate something so huge and complex.

[republican]

thanks Severne.  Fascinating.  I'll check out the book store this weekend to see whether I can find those books that you alluded to.

PhilM- I'd replicate Bush Sr. any day (but then there would be 2 of them! and Bush Jr. just may have to condemn one of them to death because no human cloning is allowed!).  I'll reserve my judgment on Bush Jr for now.

Severne - so what happens when that "slush" material runs out?  It occurs to me that if "slush" was replicatable, then Voyager wouldn't need to carry any to begin with.  I haven't seen many Voyager episodes, but I do know that the premise is that the ship is stuck in an uncharted Delta Quadrant.  Does your husband have any info regarding whether slush is easily obtainable?

[This message has been edited by republican (edited 08-05-2002).]

[a.gree]

Another question - The doctor is a hologram. In the last episode, they indicate that he is married to a human lady. So can they have kids? What kind of kids would they be?

If the answers to the above are yes.... then why didnt the lonely unpaired crew members just create hologram partners for themselves? They could've also increased the workforce that way - more hands and no additional mouths to feed.

Hey - this is fun.

[NewKid]

I didn't know about this "slush"  business. I was under the impression that replicators converted energy into matter (the famous E = mc squared).

Else every starship would need to carry tonnes of "slush" around, and would eventually run out of it (assuming that there is a small loss every time plates etc are converted back into slush).

It strikes as more elegant to directly create matter out of energy.

[Dr Opinion]

Yeah, but given E=mc2, unless they've got a way to store almost infinite levels of energy, it still has to be more efficient to use slush instead of raw energy.

Like, the raw energy represented by a single Kg of food if converted completely from matter to energy efficiently would be incredibly huge:

A single Kiloton of TNT releases 4.184 x 10^9 J of energy.
A single Kg of food represents 8.988 x 10^16 J, according to the Einstein equation, or the energy released from about 20 million Kilotons (perhaps this should be 20 Gigatons?) of TNT.  

That's one Kg of food. I'm not sure if I've done those calculations right, but I think I'm in the ballpark...

They could probably collect interstellar dust to break down for "slush", if they really needed it. Either that, or they'd have to have *really* big batteries.  

[This message has been edited by Dr Opinion (edited 09-05-2002).]

[SkidMark]

The databases indicate that the slush does exist, and that it is sourced from the bogs on decks 6 through 10.

[Joseph27]

But that intensive energy needed to power a ship, provide hollowdecks and grams, and power the replicators is well serviced in most cases by a matter / anti matter chamber.  This of course also helps power the warp drive.  The problem for Voyager was that they were across the galaxy and didnt have the means to make it to a star base for supplies

As for the doctor - he is fusion of 29th century technology with 24th century hollow technology. By making him a senescent collection of lights - he inherited rights according to 24th century law - hence he had an ability to marry (as for children - he gets to have an enourmous.... if he so chose).  

The other crew could not contruct a replication of such technology - though it was attempted when the doctor went missing.  You can create a hollowgram character and partner up with them - however you cannot give that creation the power the doctor has simply because he exists in a self contained program.

I am not a star trek nerd by the way    

[The Answer]

Anybody ever see that old skit on Saturday Night Live where William Shatner attends a Trekkie Convention! It was a riot.

[republican]

If Slush is stored in Decks 6 thru 10 or wherever, it will run out eventually, and Voyager will have to get more somewhere along their journey.  Even if the trays and utencils are recycled, the crew consumes and digests the replicated food/slush -- unless of course the human "waste" is recycled back into slush!!!  eeek!  Who would want to join Starfleet???

[a.gree]

Sorry I'm so dense. I still dont know if the doc can have children or not.....

[Dr Opinion]

republican: hey, they already recycle *all* the water on the ISS... yeah, urine too. Yuck.  

[kes]

But there's only one toilet on all the starships!!  I can't remember which deck though.

I've seen the technical schematics!