Yeah, it's pretty nightmarish. Not like fear of swimming, where they can just throw you in and you realise it's not so bad. No matter how many times they 'throw you in' the transporter it would still be the same...
That one is actually among the consistent cases. The dialogue emphasizes that Picard beamed out "energy only", which in terms of later technobabble would mean that his body was still (mostly) left doing figure-eights inside the "pattern buffer" in the form of a "phased matter stream". The trick was in separating Picard's "soul" from that stream (which Picard apparently managed because he had the knowledge of the alien who possessed him, although perhaps UFP science already knew how this could be done, too), and later reintegrating it with the bulk of the phased matter in the buffer (for which Picard probably got some help from the aliens). We have seen bits and pieces of people being taken out of the general phased matter stream, or added - say, parasites or diseases may be removed, or the charge in one's sidearm, or the actual discharge of that sidearm. Separating the "soul" bit is in no way inconsistent with all that. And indeed we see a sort of a repeat performance in DS9 "Our Man Bashir".They more or less do that at the end of Lonely Among Us.
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Thus, I just pass off "Pegasus" as a mistake in the series. They do happen, contradictions that can't be easily explained away without major fan wanking. You just have to take it as an error and move on.
I feel like Rascals is probably somewhat problematic, too.
This is actually one of my favorite TNG episodes. Therefore, I try not to think about the science/pseudo-science involved.I feel like Rascals is probably somewhat problematic, too.
I do not disagree with you. However, I still love that episode.Any episode where an alteration to DNA results in already-existing tissue magically transforming itself is ridiculous.
If you turned all of a person's DNA into blue whale DNA, that person would not transform into a blue whale. He would die.
Any episode where an alteration to DNA results in already-existing tissue magically transforming itself is ridiculous.
If you turned all of a person's DNA into blue whale DNA, that person would not transform into a blue whale. He would die.
This is the way I have understood it, as well. As you said, while our science today cannot make it happen, who says they cannot do it by the time of Star Trek?I'm not sure why the transporter is so difficult to accept within the context of established Treknology.
Trek has told us more than once that in the 23rd/24th century, matter and energy are interchangeable. They can be converted back and forth at will. Therefore, when you are transported, nothing is destroyed. You are simply converted from matter to energy, the energy is sent to the destination, and then you are converted from energy back into matter.
Now, that may not make much sense for us today based on our scientific knowledge and level of technology. But it is apparently true within Trek.
Anyone ever consider that a transporter disentigrates you and creates an identical copy of you at the destination? Technically anyone who has ever used a transporter is dead...replaced by a line of clones...if it wasnt so, then how do you explain Thomas Riker?
I think the concept of Thomas Riker was the BIG mistake, where the transporter is concerned.
The original idea that I'd seen most people claim how the transporter works is that your entire molecular pattern is scanned and then very rapidly disassembled, beamed to the target location, and reassembled. So, all of your "bits" are sent to the destination--no "killing and copying" going on (otherwise how could Barclay have his "transporter psychosis" bits, partially aware during the beaming?). That's why all of your clothes and equipment goes too. If not... then "local matter" would have to be sucked up and assembled into the destination beam to compromise you and all of your gear. That doesn't make sense.
So... with Thomas Riker, a duplicate is created.... FROM WHAT?? The matter to compose his body had to come from somewhere. And if transporting means there's just one copy of matter being sent... then either Riker would have reassembled back on the planet or back on the ship, or... two of him assembled each from 50% of his original matter (translucent Riker?).
Thus, I just pass off "Pegasus" as a mistake in the series. They do happen, contradictions that can't be easily explained away without major fan wanking. You just have to take it as an error and move on.
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