What are scientists of the Star Trek universe working on if anything?

Star Trek is a post-scarcity society with teleportation, matter replication, acknowledgements of other universes, time travel all commonplace things. That makes me wonder. What technologies or inventions are the scientists of the 25th century looking to create, if any?

 

A few ideas:

Instantaneous travel throughout the universe.

Better replicators (characters have sometimes negatively commented on the quality of replicated food and drink).

Brain-computer interfaces.

Kor

 

Mostly, gadgets for James Bond, who is still around, but mysteriously Polish and a hermaphrodite by that point.

 

Probably enhancing the degree of some capabilities they already have.

For example: research into faster warp or even transwarp. Or, if the techs VOY brought home result in stable transwarp very quickly (before 2400), _better_ transwarp (more stable/economic, even faster) during the 25th century.
Transport over longer distances than currently possible, less interference-prone.
And of course, always stronger and better weapons and defenses.

Episodes that showcase future technologies also may give some clues:
Time travel (other than by using slingshots). We know this is possible by the 27th century (assuming that the time pod Rasmussen stole belonged to the Federation) or the 29th century at the latest. Probably some advances are made in this field during the 25th even if it might not yet result in fully fledged time travel during this century.
Smaller and lighter support systems for holography - the 25th century probably won't produce a mobile emitter like the EMH had, but marked advances can be expected.

 

Failsafe systems that actually work.

 

The ultimate cheeseburger.

 

Consoles that don't explode in the midst of a battle.

Kor

 

Just to be contrarian, when did we decide that STAR TREK is about a "post-scarcity" society? That's not the show I remember, where dilithium crystals were more precious than gold, pergium mining was a big deal, and remote frontier colonies and science outposts were constantly in need of crucial medical supplies, minerals, grains, salt, and even mail-order brides.

Life on the Final Frontier never struck me as particularly "post-scarcity."

 

Replicators are not perfect, nor ubiquitous.

Time travel is heavily regulated and not well understood, including the Multi-verse, so they could be doing more research in those parallels.

There is little evidence that Starfleet has pursuits outside the Milky Way.

Omega Molecule.

Whatever the grumpy guy on VOY's "Good Shepherd" was studying.

 

I've never felt that the Federation society in Star Trek (including the 24th century) was "post-scarcity." Numerous examples why it isn't.

Scientist are still seeking a way to prevent the consoles on the bridges of starships from exploding. Resent discoveries suggest that something called a "circuit breaker" might work.

 

Every time they get close to something amazing, the 42-minute reset kicks in and they forget it all.

That's why technology in the Trekverse has been stagnant for 225 years (excepting Star Trek: Discovery, which introduced a ship that can teleport anywhere in the galaxy)

 

^It seems fairly easy in the Trek universe to make spectacular breakthroughs. Yet, over the 80 years between the TOS and the TNG eras, or even the 200 years between ENT and TNG eras we only see relatively modest incremental improvements (ships speeds twice as fast over 80 years, etc. ). How to explain this?

<insert onimous music here>

I think this is an indication of something sinister. The Federation is actually a dictatorship. 99.99% (just a ballpark figure) of all innovations is ditched, for whatever reasons (for example it would change power distribution within society too much); only 0.01% gets an official Seal of Approval by the Federation Council (or whatever organ has a delegated jurisdiction over this area).

Nice, good, upstanding Starfleet officers know this, and they implicitly agree to never speak again about that spectacular innovation they made only a month ago, once it has been rejected. Otherwise, being booted out of Starfleet would be the very least of their concerns. And, of course, as is fitting for a proper dictatorship, no-one ever makes an open reference to this 'required seal of approval' rule either ....

 

What are scientists working on these days? Some will have important works that will better lives across the Federation whilst others will be looking at some more quirky elements of life and nature.

 

Re-inventing the forgotten technology of seat belts.

 

All the stuff Voyager brought back from the future, for one. Not to mention all the stuff they reported on from the DQ. Engines good enough to get to other galaxies, how to make wormholes, how to time travel at will.

 

Despite the problems it created, the Federation seemed to be interested in allowing Dr. Manheim's research to continue.
I think the "post-scarcity" description in mostly a reference to life on 24th century Earth. The enlightened human society that Picard and Troi brag about to people like Mark Twain and Lily exists primarily on planets like Earth and Vulcan. Places like Turkana 4, however, are apparently allowed to disintegrate into anarchy. If the series illustrates anything it's that the Federation is far from perfect and it has limited control over colony worlds. The more distant the Federation colony, the more people take their chances when it comes to things like protection and food. Creative UFP solutions to ongoing colony problems are highlighted in episodes like The Ensigns of Command and Journey's End.

 

Not if it keeps breaking...

If only they hadn't invented the neuralizer...

 

Damn! Beat me to it!

 

^

 

Scientists don't primarily aim to create tech, but to understand the universe and its contents, and I see no reason why some mysteries wouldn't remain, even with the tech they have availlable.