Should the new Trek series depict radically different dietary habits?
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Re: Should the new Trek series depict radically different dietary habi
Perhaps I should rephrase that. It's not very Star Trek-y (or rather, in-continuity) if Series Seven was to be set at almost any point beside the 2260s. We've seen what they eat in the TNG era, the Enterprise era, the classic Movies era, and the Abramsverse era. And it's pretty much what we eat now. It's almost to the point that the colored cubes of TOS would have to have been a fad or we should just squint and assume they were actually eating turkey in those scenes.
Don't get me wrong, I do like the colored cubes. But they would perhaps be best only if the new series was going for a retrofuturistic, 1960s-vibe (which would be awesome, but perhaps not profitable, unfortunately).
TNG introduced us to the idea that everything they eat is replicated from base matter, and they're all just vegetarians basically ("We don't enslave animals"). It's why I really didn't have an issue with Chakotay eating roast beef and whatnot. Enterprise, and therefore TOS, had the same idea with their protein resequencers (although, I like to imagine that was a ship-based necessity unavailable to the majority of 2150s Earth).
Perhaps I should rephrase that. It's not very Star Trek-y (or rather, in-continuity) if Series Seven was to be set at almost any point beside the 2260s. We've seen what they eat in the TNG era, the Enterprise era, the classic Movies era, and the Abramsverse era. And it's pretty much what we eat now. It's almost to the point that the colored cubes of TOS would have to have been a fad or we should just squint and assume they were actually eating turkey in those scenes.
Don't get me wrong, I do like the colored cubes. But they would perhaps be best only if the new series was going for a retrofuturistic, 1960s-vibe (which would be awesome, but perhaps not profitable, unfortunately).
TNG introduced us to the idea that everything they eat is replicated from base matter, and they're all just vegetarians basically ("We don't enslave animals"). It's why I really didn't have an issue with Chakotay eating roast beef and whatnot. Enterprise, and therefore TOS, had the same idea with their protein resequencers (although, I like to imagine that was a ship-based necessity unavailable to the majority of 2150s Earth).
Re: Should the new Trek series depict radically different dietary habi
In one scene we saw some of the TNG officers sit down to a meal of real eggs, Picard maintains a supply of real caviar (again with the eggs), so they are apparently not opposed to consuming non-replicated meat.
Omnivores.
I wouldn't think the term "vegetarians" would apply. Just as eating replicated meat would not make you a carnivore. Similarly, eating replicated vegetables would not make you a vegetarian.
In one scene we saw some of the TNG officers sit down to a meal of real eggs, Picard maintains a supply of real caviar (again with the eggs), so they are apparently not opposed to consuming non-replicated meat.
Omnivores.
Re: Should the new Trek series depict radically different dietary habi
In "Sins of the Father," Picard claimed that replicated caviar was not as good as the real thing. If it is truly an accurate replication down to the molecular level, there shouldn't be any discernible difference in flavor, texture, etc. So maybe the replicators don't work as well as they seem to.
The decision in that same episode to serve roasted poultry to Kurn as a representation of typical Earth cuisine, along with Geordi's comment that "we cook many of our foods," seems to indicate a particular monolithic turn in Earth gastronomic culture in the future. There are plenty of uncooked fish and meat dishes in various Earth cuisines that probably would have been more palatable to a Klingon than the "burned replicated bird meat" that they served.
On the subject of eggs, Kirk was OK with preparing real (imaginary?) Ktarian eggs in the Nexus in Star Trek: Generations. In the contemporary world, there are different levels of vegetarianism, and eggs are acceptable in some of them.
So I'm not sure if vegetarianism is a philosophical standard in the Federation. Jadzia Dax was OK eating the disgusting rodent thing that Kor killed in "The Sword of Kahless."
Kor
In "Sins of the Father," Picard claimed that replicated caviar was not as good as the real thing. If it is truly an accurate replication down to the molecular level, there shouldn't be any discernible difference in flavor, texture, etc. So maybe the replicators don't work as well as they seem to.
The decision in that same episode to serve roasted poultry to Kurn as a representation of typical Earth cuisine, along with Geordi's comment that "we cook many of our foods," seems to indicate a particular monolithic turn in Earth gastronomic culture in the future. There are plenty of uncooked fish and meat dishes in various Earth cuisines that probably would have been more palatable to a Klingon than the "burned replicated bird meat" that they served.
On the subject of eggs, Kirk was OK with preparing real (imaginary?) Ktarian eggs in the Nexus in Star Trek: Generations. In the contemporary world, there are different levels of vegetarianism, and eggs are acceptable in some of them.
So I'm not sure if vegetarianism is a philosophical standard in the Federation. Jadzia Dax was OK eating the disgusting rodent thing that Kor killed in "The Sword of Kahless."
Kor
Re: Should the new Trek series depict radically different dietary habi
Mmmmm I love me some Horta eggs.
Enough yoke in them sucka's to cover a whole stack of flapjacks.
Mmmmm I love me some Horta eggs.
Enough yoke in them sucka's to cover a whole stack of flapjacks.
Re: Should the new Trek series depict radically different dietary habi
I'm sure she's the picture of health, physically and mentally.
I'm sure she's the picture of health, physically and mentally.
Re: Should the new Trek series depict radically different dietary habi
As part of my fitness routine, I consume a lot of blended protein shakes which include eggs, protein powder, fruit, oats, wheat germ, etc. They end up as thick liquids with the consistency of a milkshake. Sometimes I even use that as a meal substitute. I would consider myself in decent health.
But I guess that's technically an emulsion of solids in a liquid, rather than true liquid.
Kor
As part of my fitness routine, I consume a lot of blended protein shakes which include eggs, protein powder, fruit, oats, wheat germ, etc. They end up as thick liquids with the consistency of a milkshake. Sometimes I even use that as a meal substitute. I would consider myself in decent health.
But I guess that's technically an emulsion of solids in a liquid, rather than true liquid.
Kor
Re: Should the new Trek series depict radically different dietary habi
The inability to make Picard a replacement heart could indicate that a replicator is incapable of producing individual DNA strands.
I'm not sure where the "down to the molecular level" come from, to the best of my recall it was never directly said on any of the shows.
Mentally yes, physically unfortunately not. But she is a woman in her eighties.
My take is that the replicators aren't "down to the molecular level" which is why they can't make some medicines and apparently can't make living internal organs.
The inability to make Picard a replacement heart could indicate that a replicator is incapable of producing individual DNA strands.
I'm not sure where the "down to the molecular level" come from, to the best of my recall it was never directly said on any of the shows.
Re: Should the new Trek series depict radically different dietary habi
You're missing it.
Do you live on only that for years?
As part of my fitness routine, I consume a lot of blended protein shakes which include eggs, protein powder, fruit, oats, wheat germ, etc. They end up as thick liquids with the consistency of a milkshake. Sometimes I even use that as a meal substitute. I would consider myself in decent health.
But I guess that's technically an emulsion of solids in a liquid, rather than true liquid.
Kor
You're missing it.
Do you live on only that for years?
Re: Should the new Trek series depict radically different dietary habi
It's basically solid food put in a blender (not exactly the stuff that hospitals use in feeding tubes), so I think it would be doable.
Anyway, I guess the matter of replicator accuracy was more of an assumption, especially based on the notion that it was somehow related to transporter technology.
Kor
It's basically solid food put in a blender (not exactly the stuff that hospitals use in feeding tubes), so I think it would be doable.
Anyway, I guess the matter of replicator accuracy was more of an assumption, especially based on the notion that it was somehow related to transporter technology.
Kor
Re: Should the new Trek series depict radically different dietary habi
I could see a scene play out where a crew member from some southeast Asian tribe talks about eating their dead and its ritual importance. Then the other crewman responding with fascination rather than disgust. As far as (ethical) cannibalism goes I think that might be the closest we get considering the intended audience.
It would be nice to see more consumption of insects. I think that out of all the potential candidates for foods-we-consider-strange-now-but-wont-be-in-the-future insects are at the top of the list.
I could see a scene play out where a crew member from some southeast Asian tribe talks about eating their dead and its ritual importance. Then the other crewman responding with fascination rather than disgust. As far as (ethical) cannibalism goes I think that might be the closest we get considering the intended audience.
It would be nice to see more consumption of insects. I think that out of all the potential candidates for foods-we-consider-strange-now-but-wont-be-in-the-future insects are at the top of the list.
Re: Should the new Trek series depict radically different dietary habi
My take is that, at least in the TNG era, replicators make food that is completely indistinguishable from the real thing. Picard and Scotty and others are just antiquarian enough to believe that there is something different about them. But if you were to blindfold them for a taste test, they wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
My take is that, at least in the TNG era, replicators make food that is completely indistinguishable from the real thing. Picard and Scotty and others are just antiquarian enough to believe that there is something different about them. But if you were to blindfold them for a taste test, they wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
Re: Should the new Trek series depict radically different dietary habi
Except Scotty didn't know he was consuming something replicated, it was in fact a blind taste test.
Re: Should the new Trek series depict radically different dietary habi
So... McCoy?
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