No argument on that front, but you'd think 100 years of time would have resulted in a radical number of changes from studying that thing.
That's the part that we won't always agree on, the time-line to how things change.
The time-line for how Gun Powder evolved and was finally used to make FireArms, it didn't happen right away, it took several centuries because of various limitations.
https://www.brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/courses/13things/7687.html
Chinese monks discovered the technology in the 9th century CE, during their quest for a life-extending elixir.
...
The next big improvement came when 14th century Europeans began adding liquid to the mixture, forming a paste that would dry and could be ground into balls––this came to be known as “corned powder.” This greatly increased the practicality of the primitive bombs and guns, as corned powder was more durable, reliable, and safe (the dried paste would insure that almost all of the ingredients would ignite at the same time and explode as one).
...
We're still using modern formulations of Gun Powder to this day as a propellant for FireArms.
Exactly... but look at it like this:
Trek writers already acknowledged that UFP technology was fantastically advanced and it would be 'too easy' to replicate ships in batches.
Honestly, that's exactly where 24th century Starfleet and UFP should have been... to be able to replicate ships in a single go and make a story that works with that technology... instead, they progressively dumbed everything down.
That's Hollywood writers who aren't good with technology or understanding how things work.
Even I wouldn't have it replicate entire ships in one go, that'd be too OP and unrealistic like the Star Wars: "
World Devastator" or the "
Star Forge". But I would make the manufacturing similar to the episode of ENT:'Dead Stop' where it's largely automated manufacturing with replicating lots of components and perform most of the automated assembly. That could pump out a new StarShip in days like we make new cars. Then we spend alot of time validating that all systems are functioning within spec and go for a shake down cruise.
Though, Starfleet and UFP at large usually share most scientific findings openly with other space faring civilizations... and while some things they don't share (such as shields and weapons), other scientific advancements if shared with other species would probably give them ideas on how to develop their own versions of highly advanced technologies... so destroying a neutronium encased Warp core (or a power core that doesn't use M/AM) would be plausible... just more difficult.
I'd figure a "Black Hole" would be the only thing that can realistically destroy it.
The Romulans use a forced quantum singularity for a power core... so I was surprised that UFP never figured out something like that.
At any rate, that kind of core would be perfect for self-destruct if you don't want to leave any trace behind... and the singularity would have to effectively extinguish itself very quickly after devouring that matter to avoid creating a local hazzard.
Again, possible, but I find it very unrealistic that nothing came out of it from studying those objects in 50 - 100 years.
Maybe that's what StarFleet PR lets everybody think, but in reality, there's a separate division for collecting these rare items and making good use of them.
In my timeline, every single StarFleet StarShip in my fleets are already on Hybrid Reactor Power Systems where each StarShip carries miniaturized:
Large Fusion, M/A-M, Artificial Quantum Singularity, & Tetryon reactors as the 4x primary Power Sources.
Think of the issue the "Defiant" had with having a Reactor designed for a much larger vessel, but multiply it by 4.
Having a Diversity of Power Reactors, and Ultra High Energy Capacity batteries based on the CDE (Condensed Energy Matrix) that the WarHead in VOY used allows A CRAP ton of energy to be stored for later use.
Possible, but we were given 0 hints that such a division exists. And if its making good use of those objects... think of how many other ships and UFP at large would benefit from using them.
Section 31 didn't exist until it was written into existence.
I can do the same with making up a new division just Special Recovery, Research, & Analysis of rare artifacts.
That can do wonders in reverse engineering and understanding the tech and bringing it to the masses.
My problem with Trek is that it allows for massive passages of time (say 100 years) with very little if anything changing in the interim due to some ill-conceived fear that if you make things too advanced it would make things 'too easy'.
Good writers find a way to tell a good story while working in such a setting.
Trekkies across the globe suggested numerous good ideas on how to get around them... and yet no one part of actual production thought to incorporate them that much.
That's a writing staff issue where they don't have enough real technical Trekkies who understand the Ins/Outs of how all the tech within Trek is supposed to work along with how tech works IRL and how it's likely to advanced based on IRL developments.
They don't have a general Technologist who is multi-faceted and understands a very wide array of tech.
