[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.

[discostu]

There was plenty of discussion in TOS that the supply situation of the Federation had been solved. Poverty was a thing of the past. And you can see it any time they’re dealing with civilians, what do most of them do? Nothing really, handful of freeboot traders. It’s even in the plots, any time there’s a shortage of anything they have to point out how this thing is one of those odd things that replicators can’t handle.

Who said anything about drooling. Part of the whole back story of the Federation is that having eliminated poverty people are freed to explore self expression. That “eliminated poverty” phrase appears a lot. How does one eliminate poverty, well replicators are a good start. Of course there is some borderline drooling with some of civilians they encounter, like the space hippies, Mudd.

Notice how studiously they had to be to make sure we can’t replicate dilithium. The only time there’s ever scarcity it’s because that item is one of the “special” items. Meanwhile we know replicators can provide all the basics of life, all food, clothing, and basic household goods (most of which you don’t actually need anymore because you have a replicator).

The physics of transporting is actually pretty well understood. The energy requirements are literally astronomical (as in our sun could provide enough energy to transport 2 people, tops, ever), it’s a total magic box.

You dislike JJ-Trek because you’re another stuck on whiny Trek fan that’s made that he managed to make the most critically acclaimed AND most profitable Trek movie ever. It’s no more shallow than TOS. Actually probably less, somehow I doubt JJ-Trek is ever going to venture to “I am Kirok”.

[hoagy62]

My sister has seen the 9-minute excerpt of “Into Darkness” that was shown at the beginning of “The Hobbit” in IMAX theaters. From her husband’s Facebook post, he said he and the friend sitting next to my sister “could see the steam coming out of her ears”. My sister emphatically does NOT like the re-booted Trek. She says the old Trek “embodied the idea of what man was going to become”. She says this new version of Trek feels more like “bad boys in space with new toys”.

It could very well be that she’s a bit biased. At one point, she was “Captain” of the local Star Trek fan club chapter in our city. She’s three times the geek I am. I don’t believe she has any plans to see the next installment of the new Trek. I, on the other hand, intend to see it it within a week of its release. I LIKE the new Trek. I also like the old Trek in all its iterations (yes, even some of “Enterprise”).