Sadly, Star Trek does not take into
account the stupidity and selfishness of the average human being. Here
are some of the more obvious errors in the Star Trek vision.
Medical Technology
On Star Trek, the doctors have hand held devices that instantly close any
openings in the skin. Imagine that sort of device in the hands of your
unscrupulous friends. They would sneak up behind you and seal your butt
shut as a practical joke. The devices would be sold in novelty stores instead
of medical outlets. All things considered, I'm happy that it's not easy
to close other people's orifices.
Transporter
It would be great to be able to beam your molecules across space and then
reassemble them. The only problem is that you have to trust your co-worker
to operate the transporter. These are the same people who won't add paper
to the photocopier or make a new pot of coffee after taking the last drop.
I don't think they'll be double-checking the transporter coordinates. They'll
be accidentally beaming people into walls, pets, and furniture. People
will spend all their time apologizing for having inanimate objects protruding
from parts of their bodies. "Pay no attention to the knickknacks;
I got beamed into a hutch yesterday."
If I could beam things from one place to another, I'd never leave the house.
I'd sit in a big comfy chair and just start beaming groceries, stereo equipment,
cheerleaders, and anything else I wanted right into my house. I'm fairly
certain I would abuse this power. If anybody came to arrest me, I'd beam
them into space. If I wanted some paintings for my walls, I'd beam the
contents of the Louvre over to my place, pick out the good stuff, and beam
the rest into my neighbor's garage. If I were watching the news on television
and didn't like what I heard, I would beam the anchorman into my living
room during the commercial break, give him a vicious wedgie, and beam him
back before anybody noticed. I'd never worry about 'keeping up with the
Joneses,' because as soon as they got something nice, it would disappear
right out of their hands. My neighbors would have to use milk crates for
furniture. And that's only after I had all the milk crates I would ever
need for the rest of my life. There's only one thing that could keep me
from spending all my time wreaking havoc with the transporter: the holodeck.
Holodeck
The characters on Star Trek use the holodeck for recreation during breaks
from work. This is somewhat unrealistic. If I had a holodeck, I'd close
the door and never come out until I died of exhaustion. It would be hard
to convince me I should be anywhere but in the holodeck, getting my oil
massage from Cindy Crawford and her simulated twin sister.
Phasers
I would love to have a device that would stun people into unconsciousness
without killing them. I would use it ten times a day. If I got bad service
at the convenience store, I'd zap the clerk. If somebody with big hair
sat in front of me at the theater, zap!
Shields
I wish I had an invisible force field. I'd use it all the time, especially
around people who spit when they talk or get too close to my personal space.
In fact, I'd probably need a shield quite a bit if I also had a phaser
to play with. I wouldn't need a big shield system like the one they use
to protect the Enterprise, maybe just a belt-clip device for personal use.
I could insult dangerous people without fear of retribution. Whatever crumbs
of personality I now have would be completely unnecessary in the future.
On the plus side, it would make shopping much more fun.
Shopping with Shields Up:
Me: Ring this up for me, you unpleasant cretin.
Saleswoman: I oughta slug you!
Me: Try it. My shields are up.
Saleswoman: Damn!
(I can actually hear
the_epic saying this)