A bit of replication stupidity

Ted C · Post by **Ted C** » 2003-04-03 04:54pm

In "Data's Day", Data seeks advice from Worf on selecting a wedding gift for O'Brien and Keiko. Worf is actually looking through a list of replicatable items for something he thinks will be appropriate.

It strikes me as utterly idiotic to replicate a gift for someone. If they wanted something, wouldn't they have already replicated it for themselves? Why not try to obtain one of those higher-quality, hand-made items that are still available (like wines from the vinyard operated by Picard's brother) instead of a cheesy knick-knack from the replicator archive?

What does this bizarre incident say about Federation society?

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2003-04-03 05:02pm

A lazy bunch counting too much on technology.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2003-04-03 05:10pm

A possible explination is that people of higher rank have greater privlages to the replicator. Thus Data could replicate things that O'Brien and Kieko could not.

RedImperator · Post by **RedImperator** » 2003-04-03 05:23pm

Well, most of the stuff that's traditionally given at a wedding can be replicated, presumably. The custom could have just evolved so that the act of giving the gift is mostly symbolic (hell, it might be considered insulting to the other guests to give something of real value).

Ted C · Post by **Ted C** » 2003-04-03 05:23pm

Alyeska wrote:A possible explination is that people of higher rank have greater privlages to the replicator. Thus Data could replicate things that O'Brien and Kieko could not.

Possibly. The things do require raw materials, so there probably is a certain "expense" associated with them (possibly where those mysterious Federation "credits" go). I imagine that a certain level of rank or security clearance is also required to replicate something dangerous, like a phaser a drug.

So presumably you could provide an "expensive" item for which the recipient would not necessarily be willing to spend the "credits", or one to which the recipient would not normally have access.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-04-03 07:09pm

It's also possible given that it's Data and Worf that's they're simply social clods. I mean Data is an emotionless robot and Worfs a blithering idiot. Both of them probably are just the kind of people that give stupid gifts.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-04-03 08:20pm

Voyager had the idea of replicator rations, given the nature of their distance from resupply it makes sense. I doubt that those on the Enterprise really faced that much of a limit.

The idea makes some kind of sense in so far as you're on a ship, unless there's a ship's store, which probably wouldn't have a good item, where are you going to find something to give? Unless you barter something for one of their possessions.

consequences · Post by **consequences** » 2003-04-03 11:37pm

You could always loot the indigenous cultures you are coming into contact with.

RedImperator · Post by **RedImperator** » 2003-04-04 12:46am

consequences wrote:You could always loot the indigenous cultures you are coming into contact with.

Pure Star Wars is one forum up.

Isolder74 · Post by **Isolder74** » 2003-04-04 01:47am

On the Subject of Replicator stupidity.....

Why did Picard, knowing the borg's weakness to kinetic weapons(the holodeck scene illistrates this in that he had to change the chapter so he'd have access to "the Nose's" Tommy Gun) not have all of the ship's replicators crank out tommy guns in case the borg do board the ship and they adapt to your phasers(which is a given)?

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-04-04 01:56am

Isolder74 wrote:On the Subject of Replicator stupidity.....

Why did Picard, knowing the borg's weakness to kinetic weapons(the holodeck scene illistrates this in that he had to change the chapter so he'd have access to "the Nose's" Tommy Gun) not have all of the ship's replicators crank out tommy guns in case the borg do board the ship and they adapt to your phasers(which is a given)?

Because it would be smart.

I'm sure you could come up with a reason though. Say, they didn't have access to replicators that could make working guns.

Isolder74 · Post by **Isolder74** » 2003-04-04 02:00am

neoolong wrote:Because it would be smart.

I'm sure you could come up with a reason though. Say, they didn't have access to replicators that could make working guns.

In one Voyager Episode Chacota has a watch that he had replicated. If a replicator can make a thing as complicated as a Gear Driven Watch it should be able to make a Tommy Gun

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-04-04 02:02am

Isolder74 wrote:
neoolong wrote:Because it would be smart.

I'm sure you could come up with a reason though. Say, they didn't have access to replicators that could make working guns.
In one Voyager Episode Chacota has a watch that he had replicated. If a replicator can make a thing as complicated as a Gear Driven Watch it should be able to make a Tommy Gun

Gear driven watches don't use chemical reactions like guns do. It may not be pure complexity. As we know, replicators can't make everything.

Isolder74 · Post by **Isolder74** » 2003-04-04 02:06am

neoolong wrote:Gear driven watches don't use chemical reactions like guns do. It may not be pure complexity. As we know, replicators can't make everything.

I thought you were talking about the mechanical parts of the gun, sorry. Gun power is fairely simple chemically. Perhaps Picard was afraid some red shirt would accidentally shoot holes in the side of the ship.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-04-04 02:09am

Isolder74 wrote:
neoolong wrote:Gear driven watches don't use chemical reactions like guns do. It may not be pure complexity. As we know, replicators can't make everything.
I thought you were talking about the mechanical parts of the gun, sorry. Gun power is fairely simple chemically. Perhaps Picard was afraid some red shirt would accidentally shoot holes in the side of the ship.

Yes, the right mix of charcoal, salt peter, and sulfur.

And if you could shoot holes through the sides of the ship, those must be some weak walls.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2003-04-04 02:15am

My bet would be that the Borg cutting main power also affected the replicators in some way.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-04-04 02:18am

Uraniun235 wrote:My bet would be that the Borg cutting main power also affected the replicators in some way.

There was enough power to run the holodeck.

Isolder74 · Post by **Isolder74** » 2003-04-04 02:18am

Uraniun235 wrote:My bet would be that the Borg cutting main power also affected the replicators in some way.

I'm talking about before they had already boarded. AKA on the way there

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-04-04 02:20am

Isolder74 wrote:
Uraniun235 wrote:My bet would be that the Borg cutting main power also affected the replicators in some way.
I'm talking about before they had already boarded. AKA on the way there

That leads back to "because that would be smart."

hvb · Post by **hvb** » 2003-04-04 04:58am

neoolong wrote: Gear driven watches don't use chemical reactions like guns do. It may not be pure complexity. As we know, replicators can't make everything.

a repeating airgun then (and not a childs toy); although the federation have likely forgotten about this nifty piece of technology that became near obsolite at the invention of the pecussion cap at the latest ...

[rabidwarsie] then again as you say: that would be smart behaviour, and so deemed out of character for most of the post TOS Trek cast

[/rabid warsie]

Grand Moff Yenchin · Post by **Grand Moff Yenchin** » 2003-04-04 05:35am

hvb wrote: a repeating airgun then (and not a childs toy); although the federation have likely forgotten about this nifty piece of technology that became near obsolite at the invention of the pecussion cap at the latest ...

Some scary scythes/blades/claymores/lances/spears/crossbows could also slice out the Borgs in FC.

[rabidwarsie] then again as you say: that would be smart behaviour, and so deemed out of character for most of the post TOS Trek cast [/rabid warsie]

This is a point...even Captain Kirk can use airguns

:
http://www.spplatattack.com/

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-04-04 11:12am

Grand Moff Yenchin wrote:
hvb wrote:[rabidwarsie] then again as you say: that would be smart behaviour, and so deemed out of character for most of the post TOS Trek cast [/rabid warsie]
This is a point...even Captain Kirk can use airguns :
http://www.spplatattack.com/

He was also able to make a crude cannon out of parts he found. I wonder if anybody from the Enterprise could have done that post TOS.

Isolder74 · Post by **Isolder74** » 2003-04-04 11:18am

not only that he was also able to make crude gunpowder which means he knew the chemical formula. If he learned this at the Academy, than the curriculum has change quite a bit since his day.

Typhonis 1 · Post by **Typhonis 1** » 2003-04-04 01:59pm

Why bother with Tommy guns when more effective weapons are available ??I mean they should have th patterns for HK-MP5s M-16s and Galil ARMs even G-3 rifles

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-04-04 02:59pm

Isolder74 wrote:not only that he was also able to make crude gunpowder which means he knew the chemical formula. If he learned this at the Academy, than the curriculum has change quite a bit since his day.

I don't know. I know the basics of making powder and it's not like I learned it in school.