One of my least favourite story devices in Star Trek is the holodeck and in my opinion some of the worst episodes stem from this piece of tech.

What’s the tech?

According to Wikipedia the holodeck is a room that can simulate objects and people through a combination of replicated matter, tractor beams, and shaped force fields onto which holographic images are projected. Sounds and smells are simulated by speakers and fragranced fluid atomizers, respectively. The feel of a large environment is simulated by suspending the participants on force fields which move with their feet, keeping them from reaching the walls of the room (a virtual treadmill).

Where’s it from?

The holodeck is featured on post Next Generation Star Trek shows, with the exception being Enterprise, although holograms were featured at times generally belonging to alien races.

Similar tech has been seen on Star Blazers and the X-Men’s Danger Room.

So what’s the problem?

Seriously, who is ever going outside again?  Here is a device that can generally recreate any environment from a wide range of eras that appears to be completely real.  You can go anywhere, be anyone and do anything.

“Um yeah, errrr work?  I’m going to be sick today… cough”

Tourism goes through the floor, who wants to risk plane crashes, overthrown Governments and food poisoning when you can just pop into your holodeck and be anywhere and completely control the situation.  Don’t like when the sun comes up, fine, reprogram the simulation, heck you don’t even need to know html you just tell the computer what to do!

But people want to experience the real thing, you may cry.  Really?  Have you seen people stuck in front of the television?  Have you ever lost three hours in front of the Playstation?  Now imagine that you can live as your favourite character?  Imagine you can go to your happy place, for real.

Which brings us to ethical abuses of the system, several times on Star Trek people have discovered holodeck recreations of themselves and have understandably not been entirely flattered.  It conjures up ideas of all sorts of ickyness that frankly I could do without.

Prank potential?

Think of the possibilities, your flat mate just ate the last jam filled donut which was clearly labelled yours in the fridge.  They fall asleep, you have a holodeck and all the imagination in the world…