

A ‘Star Trek’ Future Might Be Closer Than We Think - frostmatthew
http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/10/a-star-trek-future-might-be-closer-than-we-think/

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krapp
People who use Star Trek as a template for a post-scarcity, post-capitalist
economy need to realize that universe was built out of plywood, cell-tape and
bullshit. It doesn't actually work because it's window dressing. Magic boxes
make all the stuff and people are nice and smart and just _better_ because
future reasons, and so humans can always be presented as morally better than
the aliens, even the aliens who are far, far advanced in every other
conceivable way.

I'm a Star Trek fan, but there is nothing to be learned about a post-scarcity
economy, whether it could even exist, or how it might actually affect society
from a show which presents Wesley Crusher as the archetype of human evolution.

You might as well ask what the elves in the Lord of the Rings can teach us
about the science of longevity. Star Trek has a lot to offer in terms of
science fiction and speculation, and was ahead of its time in terms of how
seriously television took the genre, and has inspired a lot of technological
innovation. But it never took human character study or its own utopian premise
seriously. If you actually care about these things, look elsewhere for
insight. Star Trek has nothing for you but noble savages, thinly veiled racist
caricatures masquerading as aliens, technobabble and nonsense.

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J_Darnley
No it isn't. Star Trek, at least the version with replicators, is made
possible by limitless available energy and matter<->energy conversion.

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byoung2
_But, said Mr. Saadia, a post-scarcity economy is actually far more within
reach than the technological advances for which “Star Trek” is better known.
Warp drive isn’t coming any time soon, if ever, he explained, but wealthy
retirees today already live an essentially post-money existence, “traveling
and exploring and deepening their understanding of the world and being
generally happy.”_

They acknowledge that the technology won't be there, but a post-scarcity
economy might. I don't see how that could be possible without some of the
technology in Star Trek, though. At a bare minimum, we would need to switch
completely away from fossil fuels to an abundant/renewable, clean energy
source, find a sustainable way to provide food, clean water, and shelter to
everyone, and have universal healthcare at no cost to any individual. To
accomplish any one of those without the level of technology seen in Star Trek
seems like a stretch.

