[discostu]

Magic black boxes don’t exist in reality. But they do in Star Trek. The first time in the show the replicators weren’t bottomless pits of plenty was Voyager. Sure things break, but that’s the glory of replicators, you can replicate new parts, heck they probably have big replicators to replicate entire small replicators. According to the tech manual Trek toilets feed into the replicator system, raw material. Of course even if they didn’t, they have phasers that can disintegrate stuff, don’t need plumbing then.

And let’s not even get into the implications of transporters, a magic black box so magical Rodenberry didn’t even want it, but they didn’t have enough money to build a shuttle set.

[Nepeta]

Magic black boxes don’t exist in reality. But they do in Star Trek. The first time in the show the replicators weren’t bottomless pits of plenty was Voyager. Sure things break, but that’s the glory of replicators, you can replicate new parts, heck they probably have big replicators to replicate entire small replicators. According to the tech manual Trek toilets feed into the replicator system, raw material. Of course even if they didn’t, they have phasers that can disintegrate stuff, don’t need plumbing then.

And let’s not even get into the implications of transporters, a magic black box so magical Rodenberry didn’t even want it, but they didn’t have enough money to build a shuttle set.

One of the primary rules of writing sf and fantasy is that everything doesn't go.

Many people don't accept this, even after it is pointed out to them, but every top flight writer knows that you can change some aspects of a created universe, but once you have established those changes you must strictly follow the consequences and you cannot change your mind part way through.

Gene Roddenberry was not a science fiction genius (look at his credits prior to Star Trek) but he was a competent writer. I don't recall anything in the OS that said life generally was as portrayed on the starships; we are in fact told repeatedly about farming colonies and mining colonies--people doing real work, with no magic black boxes in sight. I don't recall non-Star Fleet types sitting around and drooling. Roddenberry knew better than to create a universe of pointless people. Very likely if you want apple pie in this universe, except for starships serving in remote places, someone has to first grow an apple and someone else has to grow some wheat. Why else would there be agricultural colonies?

For example,ya gotta have dilithium crystals. You cannot wish them into existence.

By the way, the physics of transporting is being worked on now.

Listen, go off and enjoy flashing lights and shiny things. I dislike Faux Trek intensely because I dislike shallow action movies intensely.