replicators and their effects on society

What do you think would happen if humanity had replicators, like on Star Trek? I glanced at a few things online and saw that the word for them in our world is a "molecular factory," and that it will indeed be possible one day. It stands to reason that further in the future, not only will it be possible, but the average person could have one too. I've seen these in other media things too like Transmetropolitan where it's called a "maker" and you can even collect random trash to put into your maker, or buy a matter block, and it uses the molecules from that to make the items you want. I think in the comic, the better the stuff you put into it the better things you could make, but I could be wrong. Anyway, imagine the world if everyone had makers, or replicators. What do you think our world would be like? Would there be worldwide peace, would we turn into hedonistic weirdos like in transmetropolitan? What would you do with yours? I have to say at this moment I would probably just use mine to make drugs and just be an absolute waste - but in time maybe I could put this magical machine to better ends. What would you do?

I formatted my post really poorly..

I wasn't too sure what's a replicator because I never watched Star Trek. From what I understand it's a machine which can make food and other bigger items? From what exactly? Molecules? Also how big and what are the limits of the items it can make? It seems highly unlikely that this will happen anytime soon but that's just my speculation. Then again I do believe that it's likely that we'll be able to see an AI in our lifetime and perhaps it could have an answer. I'm not sure what I'd do with mine, probably just make food or drinkable water or make money

>>16651 According to the star trek wiki I found it can make anything it has the plans to, like the blueprints for whatever or maybe the templates like people use in 3d printers but for items and substances.

hedonistic weirdos and migrating the resource crisis from food and the like to whatever is needed to make the replicators function.

I think it would be a lot like transmetropolitan. I think people are hedonistic enough now that it's gonna end up like that, mini hitlers and newsgas and all

>>16652 I'm not an expert on Star Trek canon but a replicator of a given size can basically make anything smaller than itself that it has a "pattern" for. A pattern is like a 3d schematic of the whole object (including what it's made of at an atomic level). You can't replicate a whole car with the replicator you would find in a house (about the size of a microwave oven) but you could replicate parts. >>16649 I think if we had replicators it would we would probably put more value on hand made goods. Similar to how we already value hand made goods over goods produced by factories. Beyond that a lot of items that are cheap now would be considered basically worthless. There probably wouldn't be world peace (because humans are insufferable little soykafs) but at least people wouldn't be fighting over food or whatever stupid bullshit.

What do you think would happen if humanity had farms, like on Grug's tales? I glanced at a few things after eating shrooms and spirits told me that the word for them in our world is a "agriculture" and that it will indeed be possible one day. It stands to reason that further in the future, not only will it be possible, but the average person could have one too. I've seen these in other dreams too like one after drinking deer's piss where it's called a "field" and you can even collect random animal poo to put into your field, or take a sapling, and it uses the seeds from that to make the foods you want. I think in that dream, the better the stuff you put into it the better things you could make, but I could be wrong. Anyway, imagine the world if everyone had fields, or farms. What do you think our world would be like? Would there be worldwide peace, would we turn into hedonistic weirdos like in Mesopotamian? What would you do with yours? I have to say at this moment I would probably just use mine to make more shrooms and just be an absolute waste - but in time maybe I could put this magical agriculture to better ends. What would you do?

>>16727 >I think if we had replicators it would we would probably put more value on hand made goods This exact thing was a worldbuilding detail in Neal Stephenson's novel "The Diamond Age". There's household devices called matter compilers, or MCs, which use nanotech to build objects from a library of available patterns. Of course, the MCs are loaded with pay-on-use DRM, and need a supply of raw material from an authorized centralized source. The wealthy, on the other hand, prefer obviously-unique handmade objects. It's a way to show off that they're so rich that they can afford to hire real human artisans.