If you had replicator technology, would you still cook? (and other replicator oddities)

[Mytran]

These are Starfleet personnel we're talking about - never say 1 word when 5 will do.

 

[retroenzo]

What about the size of the objects that can be created with a replicator? The machine itself seems to be designed for replicating/creating/producing food-sized objects, but I guess the technology would be the same for any items, let's say, a bed, sofa, or car? In other words, is there a limit to what they can/do replicate in Star Trek? With a big enough replicator I guess anything could be replicated, or am I missing something? Big replicators would not fit on the ship of course, but they could be used on Earth or starbase?

Besides the industrial replicators, I suppose it would be possible to replicate the components required to assemble a bed, or sofa, etc. Maybe that's how the 24th century equivalent of IKEA works. Flat-packs being replicated.

 

[Tenacity]

If the transporter can materialized something out in the open, I wonder if the replicator could as well? I'm aware that the transporter and the replicator are different, but could you request a mattress and have the replicator materialize it on the floor in the middle of the room?

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

I suppose if you cross-connected the systems...

 

[Brandon123]

A TNG episodes referred to the receivers as "food slots" as distinct from an actual "replicator".

In later series, every such "receiver" just got referred to as a "replicator", regardless.

I refer to the little remote control for my garage door opener, as the garage door opener.

 

[Brandon123]

Sorry, accidentally pressed Post Reply after having quoted before I was done replying...anyhow, I was about to say that I think it easily happens, that we start to refer to "support things" as the "main things".

 

[Go-Captain]

If the transporter can materialized something out in the open, I wonder if the replicator could as well? I'm aware that the transporter and the replicator are different, but could you request a mattress and have the replicator materialize it on the floor in the middle of the room?

I would assume integrated teleportation is one possibility for an industrial replicator especially if industrial replicator indicates the replicator is a planet's equivilant of a factory. It simplifies logistics tremendously.

Other possibilities are that an industrial replicator is either faster or capable of materializing larger size objects or both. It might even be a replicator specific to building the industrial capability of a planet.

Instead of just making big objects like shuttles, it is instead specific to making specialized replicators and other manufacturing devices for the expansion of specialized industries. There are have been episodes and mentions of objects which cannot be replicated, causing logistic constraints; maybe the industrial replicator is the device which makes the device which makes the items in limited supply.