Question about replicators....

[Gingerbread Demon]

When you ask for something at a replicator on the show it just "poofs" into existence.

So is the item made right there on the spot or is it fabricated and transported to the tray on the replicator for you to take whatever you want?

I always thought these things are super duper 3D printers on the nano scale.

 

[Emperor Norton]

I think it was intended to be created by the replicator itself based on what was contained in its memory banks. At least in the TNG era. In TOS, I think it may have been fabricated via existing foodstuff components on the ship rather than materialized out of thin air, and sent to the slot. And all it did was food, hence "food slot". That may have been the intent, but that seems to have been retroactively made into a replicator as well.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I think it was intended to be created by the replicator itself based on what was contained in its memory banks. At least in the TNG era. In TOS, I think it may have been fabricated via existing foodstuff components on the ship rather than materialized out of thin air, and sent to the slot. And all it did was food, hence "food slot". That may have been the intent, but that seems to have been retroactively made into a replicator as well.

What?

Did they change the TOS food slots to do more?

Yeah I always figured the TNG replicators to be like a 3D printer on the nano scale, the items were created in the bowels of the replicator and transported out of the device to the user.

 

[Ithekro]

If they hadn't that the Tribbles wouldn't have arrived instead of Kirk's coffee.

 

[Forbin]

TNG Replicators: Transporter based technology. The computer has item pattern files in its memory, probably composed of real items that have been scanned at some earlier time. The replicator taps a store of raw matter of some kind (a bin full of carbon? The waste recycling tank?). You make your request; the computer looks up the molecular structure of the item; the replicator uses the raw material and a sort of mini-transporter to assemble the item in the replicator chamber. Voila! Hot tea, a sundae, rack of synthetic lamb...

TOS food Slot: Basically future dumb waiters. Put in your card with the food request. Somewhere in the bowels of the ship, your meal is quickly put together by a minimum-wage automated machine, and a little elevator zips it to your slot. They never bothered to explain it any farther than that (like, how it's cooked faster than a microwave, how a cup of coffee survives a mach-one elevator ride without spilling, etc.)

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

TNG Replicators: Transporter based technology. The computer has item pattern files in its memory, probably composed of real items that have been scanned at some earlier time. The replicator taps a store of raw matter of some kind (a bin full of carbon? The waste recycling tank?). You make your request; the computer looks up the molecular structure of the item; the replicator uses the raw material and a sort of mini-transporter to assemble the item in the replicator chamber. Voila! Hot tea, a sundae, rack of synthetic lamb...

TOS food Slot: Basically future dumb waiters. Put in your card with the food request. Somewhere in the bowels of the ship, your meal is quickly put together by a minimum-wage automated machine, and a little elevator zips it to your slot. They never bothered to explain it any farther than that (like, how it's cooked faster than a microwave, how a cup of coffee survives a mach-one elevator ride without spilling, etc.)

That last one is easy..... Inertial dampers on the coffee tray or whatever.

 

[danellis]

Didn't Kirk make a big deal of wanting a turkey for Thanksgiving in Charlie X? Was there any mention in that of cooks etc.?

dJE

 

[Kevman7987]

Didn't Kirk make a big deal of wanting a turkey for Thanksgiving in Charlie X? Was there any mention in that of cooks etc.?

dJE

Yes, Kirk was contacted from the galley (by Gene Roddenberry no less!) and was informed that the meatloaves in the ovens had transmogrified into turkeys.

 

[Jedman67]

http://www.trekbbs.com/threads/food-replicator-produce.283961/ has a nice discussion on how a replicator works.
My own understanding was that the TNG+ replicators were essentially molecular 3D printers that 'beamed' the completed food into your tray.

 

[Ithekro]

The Food Processors in suggested for the TMP era (In "Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise") were a mix of the two. The items were processed in or around the galley and then transported to the food slot. It used basic elements and stocks to make the food, dishes, trays, drinks, and even utensils. By TNG it seems some of that process is skipped and everything is energy to matter replication with perhaps a basic store of generic matter for the computer to use to convert into food stuffs.

 

[Sophie74656]

From TNG on, they are more like transporters. There is coding for each item stored and "bulk matter". When you replicate something you are getting a chunk of that bulk matter which has had it's atoms rearanged into the item that you requested.

I don't think it was specifically stated but I believe they use lots of things for the bulk matter...including waste.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Eeeeewwwwwww.....

 

[Sophie74656]

It kind of makes sense though...it's bulk matter LOL

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I should not be reading this thread so close to dinner time.

 

[Sophie74656]

Only if you're replicating it

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

So my nice steak dinner could be last week's poo.... Eeeeeewwwwwwwwwww



Actually howcome the Enterprise in TUC has a galley with pots and pans, and cooking staff?

 

[Tenacity]

the Enterprise in TUC has a galley with pots and pans, and cooking staff

That might have been atypical, they were carrying a full cook staff because the Enterprise was on a high level diplomatic mission. Or the cooks were standard aboard ship and were a alternate to the food output by machines.

So is the item made right there on the spot or ...

The tech advisors on TNG said that the Enterprise D had just two big replicators, one in the saucer and one in the engineering hull.

The replicator dematerializes material, alters it in the matter stream to become food-drink-dishes, and the matter stream is sent to a destination in the ship where it is materialized.

The panel and slot in various rooms is just a receiver and doesn't actually replicate anything.

In the case of TOS, I favor the dumbwaiter concept. I think the food arrives quickly partially because the room where the food slots are, are close to the machines that make the food. If you aren't in a core area of the ship, the food delivery would be slower, or service would be unavailable (like on the rim of the saucer).

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

That might have been atypical, they were carrying a full cook staff because the Enterprise was on a high level diplomatic mission. Or the cooks were standard aboard ship and were a alternate to the food output by machines.
The tech advisors on TNG said that the Enterprise D had just two big replicators, one in the saucer and one in the engineering hull.

The replicator dematerializes material, alters it in the matter stream to become food-drink-dishes, and the matter stream is sent to a destination in the ship where it is materialized.

The panel and slot in various rooms is just a receiver and doesn't actually replicate anything.

In the case of TOS, I favor the dumbwaiter concept. I think the food arrives quickly partially because the room where the food slots are, are close to the machines that make the food. If you aren't in a core area of the ship, the food delivery would be slower, or service would be available (like on the rim of the saucer).

Yeah probably right. I wonder if they have the cooking staff on all the time, or if that was just for Gorkon and company.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Since the cooks weren't making Klingon food...probably the former.

 

[Ithekro]

Kirk is a senior Captain and can probably pull some strings to get a good meal out in deep space. You could get chicken soup in seconds in the 2260s from a food slot and a chicken sandwich and coffee replaced by Tribbles in a similar amount of time. The Tribbles getting into them by the ventilation vents.