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From: hoey@NRL-AIC@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: The Transporter; why it can't do that
Message-ID: <4068@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 10-Aug-83 13:26:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.4068
Posted: Wed Aug 10 13:26:00 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 13-Aug-83 00:06:45 EDT
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From:  Dan Hoey <hoey@NRL-AIC>

Gary Samuelson, in V8 #44, brings up a ST episode (which I haven't
seen) called ``The Day of the Dove''.  In this some Klingons had their
transporter trip put in a holding pattern.  Scotty claimed that they
were in the transporter during the delay.  Gary concludes that ``if
information ... can be stored, it can be copied.''

In the case of Star Trek, I am not sure that objects enroute via the
transporter are information.  Perhaps they are some third state of
matter/energy, or some sort of astral essence.  I have enough disregard
for ST's internal consistency to consider the question worthless.

But Star Dreck aside, I am very uncomfortable with Gary's last
statement.  Known ways of transmitting information, including
transmission into and out of a storage medium, do involve copying.  But
I can't think of any reason why the ability to transmit and store
information implies the ability to copy it.  Any takers?

Dan