The nature of replicators

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-07-02 07:18am

Do replicators create new matter from energy or do they rearrange existing matter into new shapes ?

Personaly I think it is the latter. If replicators created matter out of energy latinum would no longer be valuable.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-07-02 07:30am

IIRC, it's the latter, which is I think what you mean as well.

Sir Sirius · Post by **Sir Sirius** » 2004-07-02 08:56am

The latter.

If replicators worked by converting energy in to matter making power generation estimates for ST ships based on their ability to replicate a dinner complete with a tray, dishes and utensils in a matter of seconds would result in rather interresting figures.

Enola Straight · Post by **Enola Straight** » 2004-07-02 12:12pm

E=mc^2

A LOT of energy equals a little matter.

How would you store feed stock if it was still energy?

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2004-07-03 10:57pm

The replicator "feed stock" idea sounds good to me.

Though I always sort of assumed it was either drawn from the general "fuel" of the ship (whatever powers everything else powers the replicators including whatever they produce) or else it was a simple sewage recycler (crap and other bodily waste products into food & utensils, as hinted at with Enterprise's primitive "protein resequencer").

It could be a combination of these I suppose.

Prozac the Robert · Post by **Prozac the Robert** » 2004-07-04 09:00am

How about transporters? Would they remake me out of energy or a random assortment of foodstuffs and sewage?

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-07-04 09:11am

I think transporters take existing matter, break it down into molecular components, transport it to a new site and reassemble it into original form.

Prozac the Robert · Post by **Prozac the Robert** » 2004-07-12 05:17pm

evilcat4000 wrote:I think transporters take existing matter, break it down into molecular components, transport it to a new site and reassemble it into original form.

How about the time Riker was 'cloned' by a transporter. (In Second Chances apparently) I can't remember any technobable details but it seems to violate conservation of energy if the original is supplying the molecules/energy for both versions of him.

Lord Revan · Post by **Lord Revan** » 2004-07-12 05:20pm

Prozac the Robert wrote:How about the time Riker was 'cloned' by a transporter. (In Second Chances apparently) I can't remember any technobable details but it seems to violate conservation of energy if the original is supplying the molecules/energy for both versions of him.

IIRC they boosted the matter steam that could explain the extra energy/mass

Prozac the Robert · Post by **Prozac the Robert** » 2004-07-13 12:46pm

Anyone know what 'boosting the matter stream' actually means?

Enola Straight · Post by **Enola Straight** » 2004-07-13 05:09pm

Prolly somthing closely analogous to electronic amplification.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2004-07-13 05:29pm

Prozac the Robert wrote:Anyone know what 'boosting the matter stream' actually means?

without any actual explanation for what it does, i'd likely imagine it to be akin to increasing bandwidth on a modem. higher matter stream = more matter that can be transmitted more rapidly.