However, other replicators, such as the ones used by the aliens in the TNG episode ' Allegiance', could create living things, including the brain's many trillions of dendritic connections where memory is stored. Īccording to an academic thesis: 'The so-called 'replicators' can reconstitute matter and produce everything that is needed out of pure energy, no matter whether food, medicaments, or spare parts are required.' A replicator can create any inanimate matter, as long as the desired molecular structure is on file, but it cannot create antimatter, dilithium, latinum, and (in the case of at least federation replicators) living things of any kind for the last case, non-canon works such as the Star Trek: the Next Generation Technical Manual state that, though the replicators share the same technology with transporters, the resolution used is too low to create living tissue. Additionally, that ship had a 'bio-matter resequencer' which was used to recycle waste product into usable material. The subsequent prequel series, Star Trek: Enterprise, set in the 22nd century, featured a 'protein resequencer' that could only replicate certain foods, so an actual chef served on board who used a hydroponic greenhouse where fruits and vegetables were grown. The mechanics of these devices were never clearly explained on that show. In Star Trek: The Animated Series (1974), various types of realistic-looking food could be requested, as in the episode entitled ' The Practical Joker'. In Star Trek: The Original Series, food was created in various colored cubes. In simple terms, it was described as a 24th century advancement from the 23rd century 'food synthesizer' seen in Star Trek: The Original Series. Although previous sci-fi writers had speculated about the development of 'replicating' or 'duplicating' technology, the term 'replicator' was not itself used until Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Download the new REPLIKATOR