Poll of the Week: Technology in Question

[Jo Marshall]

For all the connections, friendships, and political intrigue that exists in the world of Star Trek, none of it would be possible without the technology which underpins it all. Our starships thrum with power from the warp engines to propel these huge megastructures through space across the galaxy, storing food is no longer an issue as replicators using modules and digital instructions reproduce whatever is called for, tricorders of both the medical and scientific give knowledge and information on scanned items at the push of a control, and universal translators allow species to converse without requiring full knowledge of the language. 

Technology has also become the central backbone of our everyday life as well, be that communicating over vast distances with people in other languages, using smartphones to replicate tricorders to give us information wherever we are in the world, 3D printing using replicator technology to print on demand what we want, or the virtualisation of our environment using virtual reality devices transporting us out of our physical space.

Wherever we look, technology is improving in leaps and bounds, faster than we can anticipate, and we're already looking at a future filled with the technology we have seen for decades on Star Trek's futuristic scope.

To that end, this week we'd like to know which of these Star Trek technologies you would most like to see in your lifetime? 
 

Edited July 16, 2020 by Jo Marshall
typo

[Piravao sh'Qynallahr]

While Replicators, Tricorders and Transporters would be very awesome and useful, I gotta vote for Warp Drives. I wanna explore strange new worlds!

[Alieth]

My vote is on replicators, since they would help to solve a LOT of current world problems plus being the first step in the development of the others.

 

Also insta-coffee

 

[Thalas th’Koro]

I have to vote for warp drives. I feel the ability to travel to different planets would help solve a multitude of the problems we face on Earth. And it’s just plain cool!

[Jona ch'Ranni]

I have to vote for replicators as well. Have to solve problems on Earth before you can explore the cosmos! Hunger issues, industrial supply limitations, medical breakthroughs ... all improved by replicator technology. That advancement would naturally lead to more effort and manpower being directed toward other tech advancements which could then be discovered faster than they otherwise would have been. So, all of us need to work on improving 3D printers - the tech that is closest to becoming true replicators from Star Trek.

[Sirok]

We all know the best thing would be the replicator, to move to an economy of post-scarcity and blah blah blah... but what we want is the holodeck.

 

Edited July 17, 2020 by Sirok

[Jo Marshall]

Gotta admit, I had to go with replicators. Having coffee to hand like that... Can't pass it up. 

[Alieth]

2 hours ago, Jo Marshall said:

Gotta admit, I had to go with replicators. Having coffee to hand like that... Can't pass it up. 

Jo Marshall, a woman of vast and profound wisdom

[Jo Marshall]

40 minutes ago, Alieth said:

Jo Marshall, a woman of vast and profound wisdom

A sage for the ages, ::sips brew::

[Ben Garcia]

I felt compelled to vote warp drive ... but a little voice inside me said no.

No, it has to be the Universal Intuitive Mood Lighting (UIML).

Need a red alert? Red back lighting and pulse bars already on it. Telling an end of mission joke? Soft, pearl bridge lighting sets you up. Unsure what's going on, but want to sty true to the Prime Directive - saw that coming, that's why UIML set the mood to curious but cautious egg yellow.

Then there are the doors - imagine life without that swish. 

[Alexander Brodie]

A close run thing but I've gone transporters over replicators although they go hand in hand. Minimizing environmental impact of air/sea/land travel by being able to instantaneously move people and materials from location to location would be a great boost. Maybe I've been in lockdown too long and I'm just craving travel...although we've already seen how reductions in air/road travel have dropped greenhouse emissions. 

The same is, of course, true of replicators. Being able to resolve issues such as hunger and medicine shortages (and then instantly move them to where they need to be) would improve the quality of life for many around the globe. 

Warp drives are a great thing but should probably get our own house in order first.

[Jo Marshall]

See? Replicators! Coffee Food for everyone!

[Samira Neathler]

And miss the scent of a freshly brewed pot wafting through the whole house on a Sundaymorning? 

Went for the transporters instead. 😛 

[Jo Marshall]

A freshly replicated pot of brewed coffee available in an instant tho

[Mirkl Zanti]

Medical technology that can (nearly) instantaneously diagnose and fix almost any issue.