Hidden Tech of the Holodeck

[@tiger7892]

The holodeck was really a wildcard for star trek writers. They could make any story and just set it as holo-novel

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

While those episodes do get their criticisms for good reason I really liked them... They are a good pacing mechanic and showed what the characters would do outsides of the ship/base they are on.

[@christopherg2347]

They were a way to have a "planet of the hats" without the ship needing to be at a planet.

[@whyjnot420]

Or use it to compliment any story they could come up with. Geordi La Forge and whatshername, that female engineer (I can't think of the name of the episode or the womans name, but you must know what I mean) comes to mind.

[@grayscribe1342]

Still, I think it was under used a bit. In an RPG book they had a short story, where there was a hostage situation on a nearby planet which included some diplomatic problems as well as the local police of the not yet Federation member recently botched a hostage situation and didn't want to get involved. So on the next starship in range they patched a team together, used local data of the hideout and trained on the holodeck. While there were surprises, they pulled it off. Stuff like that could have shown more often. A short scene would have been enough. Maybe just a moment where they make a mistake in the training and see them avoid it during the mission. Considering the capabilities of the Holodeck, it could be used for a lot of mission preparation or just training for away teams. Maybe showing a security team training to keep the scientists safe on an away mission? Of course, that would make things difficult for the writers. You know, like Stormtroopers that are an actual threat.

[@subraxas]

@@grayscribe1342 They used it like this on DS9 on the episode 'Magnificent Ferengi' when they trained for the rescue mission involving Ishka.

[@michaelrobb9542]

We'll get a Skyrim port for the holodeck before we get TES 6.

[@ananousous]

And that's only after it gets a port, two remasters, and another legendary edition for the Ktarian headset

[@DarkestVampire92]

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, now for Duotronic computer systems (Soon available on Isolinear chips)

[@AzureToroto]

Admittedly, that would be amazing. I could only imagine sitting in some tavern eating a sweetroll and drinking Honeybrew Mead, then have some NPC grab something from a table and be attacked by everyone who is present afterward.

[@st.anselmsfire3547]

Skyrim Bicentennial Edition. I've already preordered it.

[@PeterSwinkels]

🤣

[@jaspr1999]

One possible use of the holodeck is a possible explanation for the future ship in Enterprise. It is bigger inside than outside and that confounds Tucker, but would very much be in line with a holodeck use. It could've been used to generate "larger" quarters on ships the size of the Defiant during times when not in a combat situation. Myself, I would be Barkley as I would be VERY prone to use it so much I would probably live in my own little bubble world. GTA meets Skyrim holodeck gaming!

[@daniellevy4104]

Kal Dano's Timeship is a 31st-century timeship under the command of Kal Dano. It uses compactified subspace manifolds to create a ship interior that is bigger than its outside volume. It is no bigger than a shuttle but it is as powerful as a battleship. So its basically like putting a compressed part of subspace into something in prime space , its more like that episode where Riker and the Non-Binary when they got trapped in a pocket of subspace , so imagine someone taking that pocket of subspace and building a ship around it that forces that subspace to be occupied in a smaller container... Doctor who explains it best Why is the TARDIS bigger on the inside? the reason it's bigger on the inside The official explanation, they note, is that the TARDIS is “dimensionally transcendental.” That means that the inside and the outside of the ship exist in separate dimensions. ... Dimensions allow scientists to locate something in space and time. i hope this cleared it up , that it has nothing to-do with the holodec.

[@christianmino4073]

@@daniellevy4104 is this beta cannon? Because I dont remember hearing about this in any of the shows. And to be honest, i would think an official (cannon) in universe explanation would probably be holotech. Much easier to screw something up when it comes to dimensional travel when holotech can keep safety protocols on so if something screwd up the tech no injuries occur.

[@goldenknight578]

@@christianmino4073 It's from STO, and you can find the missions from "Chapter 7" of Ric's STOSS playthrough: (kzbin.info/aero/PLnz8giR6uGEeeaXe_Up0qMro-RGBrZSZS)

[@daniellevy4104]

@@christianmino4073 yes it actually is in Cannon , Across the series and episodes though, about 2 TNG episodes go over it and an Episode of Enterprise , However the filling in of the whole story is considered Beta Cannon , But as for the explanation for it being a compactified subspace manifold was discussed in TNG and Enterprise .. but this is what Beta Cannon fills in that makes it so complete as a story , Daniels(Enterprize) gives Kal Dano the timeship, allowing him to escape a Vorgon attack in the 27th Century. Dano arrives at the Lukari homeworld(the missing DNA flox couldnt indentify in kalo dano) to assist the Kuumaarke's efforts to stabilize the local star. They are attacked by Tholians in their efforts to do so; while they are able to repel the Tholians and repair the star, the Tholians escape with Dano's Tox Uthat(TNG Captains Holiday). “Stormbound”: The Tholians manage to use the Tox Uthat on the star of the Na'kuhl System. After retrieving the device, Dano uses his ship to transport the vessel to the 22nd Century, where they hide the Tox Uthat on Risa. After returning to 2410, the U.S.S. Pastak answers a temporal distress call sent by Dano's Timeship shortly before he vanishes into a time vortex during a renewed fight against the Tholians in the Na'kuhl System. After Cpt. Walker invites the antagonist to the Pastak's bridge, they manage to retrieve Kal Dano's decayed corpse and Timeship, which had traveled back to the early 22nd Century( Enterprise Future Tense). A few decades later, the crew of the Enterprise (NX-01) had found the capsule drifting in space and managed to activate the capsule's temporal distress beacon, causing it to automatically travel back to 2410.

[@daniellevy4104]

@@christianmino4073 kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJvVm6GQjMxjhK8 Malcom Suggested it was a Hologram , but when Trip drops the flashlight they look at each other as if to dismiss that thought, and Trip goes on to say he never heard of anything like this in Spacial Geometry , so there you have Trip assuming it has something todo with Dimensions , and Trip is one of Star Fleets best Engineers in his Era ..

[@Stormcrow_1]

I'd have thought that the holodeck would be useful for Fleet commanders to control ship movements during large encounters, moving holoships around to give orders to fleet assets, and maintain an overview of the battlespace.

[@nemesis2445]

I imagine that the Interstellar Cartography suite on the Enterprise-D we saw in Generations, or something similar could work well for this also

[@mutanix]

Sort of like Ender's Game

[@ckmbyrnes]

Babylon 5 did something similar. One of the alien races (The Minbari) used a holographic representation of the battlespace to give commanders a 360 degree view of the battle. In the one time this was seen, a single commander was able to command an entire fleet of ships, from the biggest cruisers to the smallest fighters.

[@danielseelye6005]

@@ckmbyrnes It was shown twice: The Minbari Grey Council's First Contact with Humanity (which didn't go over so well) and Delenn showing Sheridan for a battle during the Shadow War. I also remember them using it as a "view screen" so to speak on the White Stars along with the windows for the Command Bridge

[@ckmbyrnes]

​@@danielseelye6005 I remembered the Shadow battle specifically, but you are right about the two other times. I bow to your superior B5 knowledge.

[@gamewatch6861]

“Technology that everyone would abuse.” You have no idea. If I had one plus a replicator, I would never leave the house.

[@MysticHeather]

Same

[@alexandragamingronyno2275]

The replicator is the greatest advancement in ST, followed close by the holodeck. Having a replicator allows overcome any logistical problems in addition of being the philosopher's stone. While the replicator is the materialization of everything the holodeck is the virtualisation of everything. Together they solve almost any societal issues and are able to overcome contenders better than using only brute force.

[@sugandipowers4613]

@@alexandragamingronyno2275 what does the philosophers stone do again? just immortality right? how would that solve societal problems?

[@creditsunknown7974]

COMPUTER, SOUP, WITHOUT BOWL

[@notoriouswhitemoth]

Holodecks aren't purely recreational: Data mostly uses the holodeck for psychodrama, and Geordi uses it extensively for running simulations to alpha-test new tactics and technology.

[@TheTrainstation]

and to test beta moves on holo-chicks

[@BennyLlama39]

And, they're presumably used for training scenarios where the real thing is *way* too dangerous or impractical.

[@joseaguilar3323]

Yeah, its sort of like VR in that it was created for recreation but it has far greater medical and industrial uses.

[@toastedjawa3620]

@David Wallace that's why there weren't dedicated Federation warships pre-Borg/Dominion. Because a military totally wouldn't have those, right?

[@christopherg2347]

@@toastedjawa3620 A Federation ship can level civilisations without needing to be a dedicated warship.

[@user-vn7ce5ig1z]

You said holodecks are useful for leisure, but they're also useful for training and research, like when Geordi simulated Leah Brahms (well, at first).

[@michaelgreenwood3413]

As well as in STO during the Lost Dominion Arc to train fighting against Jem'Hadar.

[@toomanyaccounts]

@@michaelgreenwood3413 The Klingon Star Trek novels reveal that after the Dominion War the more recent built klingon ships that were of the Qang class had not only federation built replicators but a single holodeck that the klingons used for training that had no safety mechanisms.

[@joldsaway3489]

Barclay was also chatting it up with Einstein in that one episode with the Zytherians

[@reifuTD]

A fun thought that I like to think about in the context of Holodecks, I assume that the world of Star Trek still has TTRPGs, I mean I know board games are still a thing. I feel like this could be a good episode of Lower Decks, where the crew plays a something like DnD on the holodeck. Not as a LARP but as an actual virtual board game. Where everyone is looking down from above controlling an avatar in the third person. Star Trek twist happens and their game characters become self aware or something.

[@VulpisFoxfire]

I get the mental image of a large version of the Star Wars chess board....

[@witchdoctor1394]

There'd have to be a 'Mazes & Monsters' reference thrown in there somewhere...

[@generaljimmies3429]

A bard seducing a dragon would no longer be just words.

[@UGNAvalon]

Mariner: “I roll to seduce. 😏” Boimler: “…. Natural 20. You succeed. 😑” Holo-dragon: _Looks up at Boimler_ “Oh you are _NOT_ making me do this! 😡” Holo-bard: “Come on! It’ll be fun! 😘”

[@tacoman10]

I think something along the lines of a Holo-table like space checkers from Star wars would work better for that.

[@carltheshivan]

I'd imagine the holodecks being able to come up with detailed objects from simple descriptions is because of machine learning. If you feed it enough examples of wooden tables, it'll be able to make up new ones from that data. We can do this sort of thing with AI programs today.

[@DigitalJedi]

I like to think of it sort of like those programs that identify what you drew, but in reverse. Maybe throw a little DLSS in there as well to extract extra detail out if it.

[@grayscribe1342]

A lot of objects are already in the memory of the replicators. Though it would have been nice to see some larger replicators at work once in a while, creating a table for example. Maybe an Andorian designer is currently the rage and his furniture is being replicated all over the Federation?

[@ptonpc]

I like to think the system also knows from experience what kind of object (size, shape, colour etc) that a particular person tends to go for. So when they say "Table" it creates the one more like they one they tend to think of.

[@ashtiboy]

@@ptonpc well there's industrial replicators that are like replicators but are warehouse sized instead! but you need to fabricate the modular parts first in the smaller replicators then assemble the industrial replicators on site that then they make really big or a lot of stuff!

[@TokyoXtreme]

My worry about Holodecks is that the exit arch could itself just be part of the program, and that you’d still be trapped within the Holodeck even if you thought you had already exited.

[@Enndorii]

I wanna see an episode like this in a Star Trek show. Maybe a virus infects the ship’s computer, maybe an AI is the one that does it, I don’t know

[@samk522]

I'm pretty sure that sort of thing happened at least once. One of the Moriarty episodes of TNG, maybe.

[@legacyoftheancientsC64c]

@@Enndorii This is pretty much what Moriarty did in the TNG episode "Ship in a Bottle" in order to trick Picard, Data and Barclay into thinking they had left the Holodeck when in fact they were still in it.

[@brandannix8711]

@@legacyoftheancientsC64c that was a good ep

[@adammcgirt7123]

Maybe the user could wear a bracelet with a kill switch, something like that.

[@VincentGonzalezVeg]

What you're describing about needing large volume for psychological health is one of the things I've seen neglected in other media depicting humans in a contained area such as the fallout series with the vaults, as I understand it humans need space and to not be confined and the lack of space may end up being something that we both fictionally and IRL may find to be as "space madness"

[@grayscribe1342]

A novel I read recently had the crews of a military and a science ship get a bit envious of a civilian ship attached to their mission because they had recently 3D printed a Hot Tub, which they hat put in the little garden they had on their ship. It wasn't just a ship or a workplace for them. It was home and they treated it like it was.

[@233Deadman]

@@grayscribe1342 Gardens would be really useful aboard starships in general. Space to grow some fresh food, and also use the plants to help recycle the air a bit. So if you have a pleasant space like that, why not use it for relaxation as well.

[@toomanyaccounts]

@Minwon Jang in fact part of the testing behind the vaults was to make them drive the inhabitants insane in a number of vaults

[@kabobawsome]

I mean, this does happen. It's what Seasonal Affective Disorder is, and it can get *severe* if left untreated. It's the root cause of most cases of so-called "Polar Madness", and it's why long-term ISS astronauts have to go through some intense psychological examination and profiling.

[@striker8961]

… the Fallout series very clearly shows how shoving hundreds of people into small steel corridors, miles under ground is a horrible idea. Hence the violent need to escape and spread across the wasteland.

[@Awestefeld6612]

Like that Rick remembered the animated Trek "holodeck".

[@thewalkinglost]

Miles & Bashir literally get together weekly to roleplay in the holodeck. They're the 24th Century equivalent to D&D players.

[@funzjag]

I always enjoy your Trek presentations. Thank you, Rick. 🙏

[@andymccurdy5029]

hidden tech in star trek no one noticed or questions when in use. drama detecting software in face to face communications which activates the view screens dramatic zoom function at the appropriately dramatic revel or emotional part of conversation. now its been pointed out you can never unsee it

[@clancykohl]

Or the guys on the other end just have a weakness for drama and deliberately do that.

[@BigFrakkinOgre]

The D&D comment you made has always been where my mind went when I saw holodecks on screen. The Tomb of Horrors, the Temple of Elemental Evil, and everything Spelljammer would be excellent

[@tparadox88]

I think that from Encounter at Farpoint to All Good Things, the technology behind touchable holograms was in development. They needed more touchable props to be replicated early on, but the shaped force field tech got better to the point that hardly anything needed to be replicated. I think that food still needs to be replicated to be edible, but there's an episode of Voyager where Tom is insisting to Harry that drinking coffee late at night on the holodeck isn't bad because it's going to disappear when you leave, which may just be that the tech has changed so fast that even a guy who writes holonovels as a hobby doesn't understand how the projection works.

[@bipolarminddroppings]

Holographic communications seemed to go in and out of vogue in Starfleet depending on whether there was a major war on, or not.

I'd imagine it goes somewhat like this: 1. Someone thinks that it's a good idea and invents it. 2. Some admiral sees this invention, deploys it across the fleet because it's flashy despite the concerns of Vulcan admirals who think it's illogical. 3. Actual field tests reveal that it's a crappy way of communication. 4. The system is ripped out of the ships and buried deep in the Federation archives. 5. Fifty or so years pass, the only people in the admiralty who still remember how crap the system was are the Vulcan admirals whose concerns are consistently ignored anyway. 6. GOTO 1.

[@striker8961]

When they have perfectly good view screens it makes very little sense.

[@VarangianGuard13]

Holodeck D&D! Heck yeah... So many character sheets to turn into holograms, so many maps and worlds to see, projected before my eyes.

[@legacyoftheancientsC64c]

I'm assuming the holodeck also has a programmable gravity grid in order to replicate the sensation of vectored acceleration/deceleration (inertia, falling, etc) otherwise walking in place in the scrolling "treadmill" or while flying simulated ships would feel disconcerting (possibly causing nausea through the same vestibular effects that VR/simulator sickness produce).

[@Krahazik]

Considering the number of subsystems employed on the holodeck to make the whole, probably.

[@dorkavenger42]

Inertial dampers can nullify the sensation of movement so there could be an inertial… hmm what is the opposite of a damper? Soaker!

[@Queso2469]

I suspect the holodeck would also need to work with the artificial gravity systems to simulate motion. Otherwise things like skiing or climbing would feel noticeably wrong. Even walking could give you simulation sickness as your body tries to stop and start your momentum and your inner ear doesn't agree with your vision.

[@ndprice89]

This! I was going to say something similar. Conceivably, the artificial gravity plating in the holodeck is standalone from the rest of the ship. Subtle manipulations of the gravity in each player's treadmill bubble completes the illusion. This might be yet another reason holodecks are said to require so much power.

[@Joshua-dh3uj]

I always wonder that too. Like how would it simulate free fall for a skydiving program or zero-g for a spacewalk simulation?

[@KevinLockamy]

OK, these explanations work better then my ridiculous method of suspending the viewer in light forcefields and gimbling them the way flight simulators do today. Now that would burn a few kilowatts.

[@tiagotiagot]

Inertial dampeners would likely be way more responsive than artificial gravity, considering they have to cancel out all sorts of literally astronomical bumps and jerks, it would pretty just be a matter of "reversing the polarity", making them create motions instead of canceling them; artificial gravity would likely be used for things like skydiving, swimming, EVA, planets with different gravities etc, where there's a need for a more constant feeling of acceleration

[@PeterSwinkels]

@@ndprice89 : in voyager Tuvok can adjust the gravity on a holodeck.

[@MarkWarbington]

Consider that a holodeck, designed by humans, would also leverage the strengths and weaknesses of human senses to accomplish its goals. These tricks might need to be different for Klingons and other species to be effective. That begs the question, could Data be "fooled" by a holodeck program or did he just "play along" for the benefit of the others?

[@grayscribe1342]

Interesting thoughts. I doubt a Federation Holodeck in it's standard configuration could trick a dog's nose, but it should be possible to be adapted. As for Data? I think he lowers his senses in the Holodeck to a human level so he can experience it as a human. For him it's just the manipulation of incoming data. However, at the same time he could still have the full sensory data somewhere in his memory just in case it is needed.

[@kinderdm]

@@grayscribe1342 This is a good explanation. Maybe he can turn off that extra information from being processed on a conscious level, or maybe even on a subconscious, so as to allow himself to be "fooled" by the program.

[@Krahazik]

Considering the first time we are introduced o them it was shown that despite the trickery Data knew exactly where the wall was. That program too had to be fairly simple since data bounced a rock off said wall. Course later the ship's entire computer systems including the holodeck computers got an upgrade and it was noted that the holodecks were even better.

[@toomanyaccounts]

@@grayscribe1342 I think Data did say he sometimes turned off some things to better fit in or get an idea of what humans experience. plus to also play fair in poker for example against his shipmates.

[@tiagotiagot]

@4one14 We can see purple where red and blue frequencies are being reflected simultaneously; the holodeck would just need to emit additional frequencies to cover the range of Geordi's visor, while still emitting visible light as usual. Would require a lot of processing power to cover the whole range though. As for dangerous levels of certain frequencies, surely the safety protocols would dim the stuff that would be harmful; specially since Geordi's body is just plain human, with no significant protection against ionizing radiation, microwaves etc. Just like it should be able to produce a star from up-close without blinding people with regular eyes with the brightness.

[@Moonbeam143]

I did have some questions with how the holodeck worked, and you answered them! Thank you! And it is nice to know it's self cleaning.

[@Chokah]

I would assume most of the ship is self-cleaning in a similar way. We've never seen a janitorial crew... And now I wonder who deals with a clogged toilet after someone eats Riker's omelets....

[@Moonbeam143]

@@Chokah They could just teleport the mess away if they want to.

[@toomanyaccounts]

@@Moonbeam143 the eu stuff mentions little service robots that come and clean.

[@moledaddy]

I wonder if, instead of creating force fields and projecting onto them, the holders can just project onto each person's retinae. Then it would just need the use forcefields and replicator to match the other sensations to the images.

[@jasonritner9662]

Holodecks are the ultimate tactical and strategic training tool. Having them on board a ship like the defiant would make a ton of sense for training purposes for CQB combat, ship boarding ops, drills, etc.

[@chrismantonuk]

This was good fun to watch! Sounds like you’ve really given thought to how it might work, especially the forced perspective when 2 people are sharing the same program. Reminds me of the diagrams in the TNG Technical Manual back in the 90s! The crazy thing is - apart from the matter replication stuff - the trajectory of our current computer technology, ML and processing power tells me that the logic behind the programs isn’t too far fetched. Now we just need some transporters and replicators 😞

[@TwinFlyDSW]

Imagine playing your favourite video games in a holodeck where you play as the game character in the game world.

[@hawkticus_history_corner]

Forcefields, auto cleanup and self contained gravity plating are the handful of techs I'd assumed are attached to Holodecks

[@thomasjenkins5727]

Self-contained gravity plating... now that you've said it, it seems so obvious.

[@lubricustheslippery5028]

I wounder if they are manipulating gravity in a way so it feels like you are acceleration when you start running. Otherwise you would easily get seasick

[@hawkticus_history_corner]

@@lubricustheslippery5028 I would presume, it's probably also used to simulate motion in other ways. I almost think that you pretty much have a forcefield bubble around you for the computer to properly manipulate the environment

[@pizzedahff3127]

As well as Slip-fields. Basically a floor plate system that works like a treadmill. You're in a small room, but you can walk for miles through a forest. Because you don't actually go anywhere, the view around you just changes.

[@Tommy-pv1vh]

@@lubricustheslippery5028 I got a vr system and if it doesn't do something to counteract the motion detection systems in the body sea sickness happens within 5 min

[@MrYTGuy1]

The mental gymnastics required to pretend that discovery and TOS are in the same timeline are just too difficult no matter how hard I try. And with each new show it seems to be getting even further away and harder to consolidate...

[@Starganderfish]

For me they kind of both are and aren’t in the same “timeline”, but you have to think not in terms of an in-universe timeline and instead in the sense of a timeline for an outside observer (ie us as the audience). TOS is the original events at the start of the observers timeline or as Trek was when we first saw it in the 60’s. From there, the various crews messed around with time travel so much that by the time ENT had finished, the historical events where completely changed. As observers, our timeline goes from TOS thought TNG, then ENT then STD. STD is the state of the TOS era AFTER all the time travel shenanigans of the other series and movies had completely screwed with events. Borg tech, Temporal Cold War stuff, humpback whale/transparent aluminium… all of that has turned Nimoy Spock into that lame dude in STD. I’m not a fan of it but that explains what happens and personally I can just ignore STD as one potential timeline that can easily be wiped out by events in future TV series. As for Picard, that’s set even further down the observer timeline than STD and is not the future of OUR Picard, it’s the future of the post- STD Picard. It has only the most peripheral relationship to TNG. The actual future of OUR TNG crew has not been shown. That’s my reasoning anyways.

[@bipolarminddroppings]

Creating fully immersive holographic techbology might be the great filter in the galaxy. Seems like everyone would become a Barclay and live their lives inside a holodeck.

[@allengilbert7463]

The Minds in the Culture series have that problem. They're so advanced that the normal universe is boring to them, so they simulate more interesting universes, and sometimes retreat into them.

[@Hound831]

You answered all the questions I had on holodecks.

[@adamlytle2615]

The 'multiple individualized illusions' thing I always picture as a complicated 3D version of the split screen on a 2-player Lego video game. In a lego video game if the 2 players are close to one another they both share the same screen, but as they move apart, a line appears splitting the screen into two. So when Voyager had that beach program, the holodeck could have been split up into a dozen or so individual "holospheres". - would be interesting to see what it would look like from outside the illusion.

[@pizzedahff3127]

The 3D5S (3 Dimensions, 5 Senses) suite would be highly beneficial on any voyage lasting more than a few weeks. The Defiant, though, is a short range Escort Battleship, not meant for long deployments.

[@Donnerwamp]

Also when forced into a longer escort mission, there's probably a ship with a holodeck involved.

[@toomanyaccounts]

@@Donnerwamp the defiant also doesn't have room.. there was an eu novel where the Defiant was used to do some exploring the gamma quad after the Dominion War. the crew was not very happy with reading the same books on pads.

[@zeux5583]

@@toomanyaccounts it kinda bugs me that they cant store that much books on their ships data storage. i did the math and, if we assume that they have at least every book published in english to this day(2021) with an average word density of 2bytes per char, 5.9 characters per word, 250 words per page and 300 pages per book on average and about 500 000 books published, we would come to only about 3200 Terabytes of data. most modern Datacenters can store at least this much data. why not a spaceship in the 24th century?

[@toomanyaccounts]

@@zeux5583 the datastorage is used for other things. star maps, mission reports, scanning data. plus there is backups. starcharts may be a huge amount of data along with sensor data records if compressing the data means lossing resolution and takes longer to uncompress when speed may be of the issue such as sensors to not run into something bad at warp speed. then there is patterns for replicated items and their backups.

[@LycanWitch]

rather than project on a wall or whatever, I always imagined that the holodeck just literally projected forcefields/visuals around the user, sorta like a bubble around each occupant. this way seems like the more logical and easiest way for the computer to project a holo-environment for the user, a self contained bubble around the users, especially when you have more than 2 people in the holodeck, such as the entire bridge crew, etc, as projecting onto the walls, etc would not be sufficient for so many people, so i'd imagine the holo-projections would need to be more up close and personal, just slightly beyond arm's reach.

[@Delosian]

In Enterprise we see that they had simulations for combat training, but they only had targets on walls which they fired at with particle rifles. Earth and the Klingon Empire then discovered holodecks from the Xyrillians in 2151.

[@greenhat8978]

Okay now that you have brought it up I would like to see an episode where five members of the crew instead of doing a round of Poker or something at the table do a live action role play of Dungeons & Dragons, and the dungeon master just as an ominous voice throughout the Holodeck unless he wants to have his face appear in a cloud or something. Although sadly I think that type of usage would be more akin to be done in a cartoon version.

[@generaljimmies3429]

Finally, a bard seducing a dragon will no longer be just words.

[@UGNAvalon]

@General Jimmies Bard: “I roll to seduce! >:3 “ DM: “You succeed.” Dragon: _Stomps ominously closer_ Bard: “This… looked a lot simpler on paper.. 8{ “

[@generaljimmies3429]

@@UGNAvalon Only to the unimaginative. Time to "dive" into the dragoness for a "full body experience"

[@janetfayard672]

That wld be awesome!

[@kabobawsome]

Eh, that would be a *perfect* set-up for an episode of Lower Decks, anyway.

[@adamkey1934]

We all know EXACTLY what we'd all use a holodeck for 😏

[@BrettOPediaTV]

killing effigies of my enemies? ...oh you mean sex

[@VideogameFrames]

Haha yes.. (COMPUTER, FILL ROOM WITH CHEESE)

[@the0s0ph1st]

Just imagine what an empty inactive Holodeck room looks like under UV light. I mean, didn't Quark have to clean his Holodeck regularly or something?

[@PeoplecallmeLucifer]

@@BrettOPediaTV you sir ... are a Klingon

[@paullynchlfc1263]

The holodeck has to have a self cleaning mechanism. Because I'm not cleaning that thing after anyone else has used it

[@casbot71]

Holodeck technology would be revolutionary in personal development - in training, practice and learning. Getting one on one personal instruction from a expert(s) in the field and then getting practical "real world" experience would enable very rapid learning, which may explain why Starfleet personnel are so _Renaissance man_ in their skills and abilities. It's easier to be skilled in a wide range of fields when you can get such hands on personal experience *without the consequences of failure* at the touch of a button. And so you can even push it beyond the edge and crash/fail/blow up/get shot/get shot down/kill the patient/get knocked out or stabbed/fall to your death/destroy the machine … without any problems - and then you can try again, this time only better _and learning from your mistakes._ All the while having the best (synthetic) teachers give you their personal attention. [Even for _"non skill skills",_ as a awkward teenager, a training program for how to talk to girls/boys/people in general, with a wingman giving tips, and a AI queer eye style team to advise you on social interactions in a simulation that can pause. Seven of Nine had something like this early on, when it was only her and the Doctor and everyone else was in status. It's just Unfortunate for her that her teacher was the Doctor and not a holographic Councillor] It would allow you to be a virtual veteran in a field before ever having your first real world experience [for combat programs, Starfleet should be sneaky and have a faked combat emergency during training, where the cadets don't know they are on a holodeck when the disruptor bolts start flying]. _In the film Inception, the dream technology was developed originally so soldiers could shoot and stab each other for realistic training in dream scenerios._ For example; imagine *how quickly* you could become good at skateboarding if you had AI Tony Hawk giving you _his undivided attention…_ and you never got hurt when you wiped out [I tried teaching myself skateboarding and gave up while lying in the fetal position and having to wait ten minutes before I could move, and then push one of my testicles back into my scrotum from near my hip]. Theoretically you could have someone grow up mostly in a holodeck, with a completely controlled environment teaching and molding them … something for a super soldier/ubermensch program. Brings a whole new level to the idea of hothousing children.

[@durstein]

I like your description. Answers some the questions I’ve always had

[@gent_Carolina]

Rick, ur so good @technical descriptions for fictional objects that I forgot for the duration that it's not real yet! Ty 😀👍

[@markfergerson2145]

Dammit Rick, when you said "End program", *MY* holodeck shut down!

[@who-ny5oe]

Rick: I miss the part where it is my problem.

[@RemnantCult]

I love how live action roleplaying is the main form of recreation in the 23rd century. I'd be stuck in there all day if they did exist!

[@Krahazik]

And in TNG erra, they have en entire psychosis for that. Remember Barkley. That's pretty much what he did, which included resulting in him being late for duty a couple of times.

[@douggale5962]

You already have holo-addiction, and you don't even have a holodeck!

[@masterridley8593]

If anyone has seen my comment about Isolinear chips, holodecks are another reason behind my logic. process astronomical amounts of data near instantly and be rewriting much of it constantly without any delay.

[@bracconiere2868]

i love star trek videos, the only place where i can hear snark about dilithium engines being controversial..

[@slicedchicken4806]

Let's not forget it is the ultimate end for the oldest profession in the world.

[@stuffedsomething1699]

XD

[@stuffedsomething1699]

Well's there'll always be purists

[@Awestefeld6612]

Holodecks would be addictive.

[@SabertoothSeal]

But does the holodeck know how to use Auntie Angel's Grapefruit Technique? I don't think so!

[@xanderathome]

My wife and I had just watched Voyager where the H deck was smaller than Generation's, so we KZbin how a HD worked, and you have explained it brilliantly thank you very much!👍

[@rvaughan74]

I remember seeing somewhere people asking so what are the limits of what can come out of the holodeck? Rick here shows the simple answer: If it's something you can order from the replicator you can probably take it out of the holodeck, baring security restrictions. Example: While I'm sure Worf would love to take his Colt revolver from the Old West program out he'd have to get weapon clearance first (since he's head of security it gets booted up to Riker or Picard). Or he takes it out and finds out it's a useless hunk of resin or something that can't fire.

[@gillriet773]

I love your explanation for the snowball: the computer has an easier time creating water than simulating it.

[@MrFilbot]

I was thinking about finite space in elementary dear Data when Dr. Pulaski gets kidnapped. It’s like the dimensions of a haunted house she was taken down an alley way facade. But in actuality she didn’t physically go very far around the corner from the “room” Data and Geordi were in.

[@DycuswasHere]

While listening to this I can’t help but imagine a group of people running around and trying to “break” the holodeck. Running suicides across the room, grabbing and dropping several items at once, and opening and slamming doors to see if the computer can keep up with them. Who knows, this might be how they actually test the programs! Real life video game testing!

[@Allangulon]

If I had an Holodeck I'd never be seen again!

[@cmbaz1140]

me too...lol you would probably only be seen when you buy magnesium and zinc vitamins...

[@imchris1978]

I always wondered if a holodeck character could be loaded into an android body to exist outside of the holodeck

[@andybrown4284]

By the number of injuries sustained by crew members while holodecking the safety protocols seemed to be as long as you're not going to die anything goes.

[@ethzero]

8:44 Ensign: "Captain, an unusual power spike in Holodeck 3 has been detected." Picard: "Cause?" Ensign: "Sanitary sub-routine" Picard: _knowingly rolls eyes_ , "Computer. Location of Commander Riker?" Computer: "Commander Riker is in Holodeck 3".

[@drdoominstien713]

holodecks also seem to be the premier AI generator considering the fact that a Vague request from data generated a human like sapient intelligence all on its own, while Data's dad had to spend years working on making the socially awkward Data.

[@dasparado]

The Holodocks would be a serious problem. Only having two or three on a ship with thousands would be totally inadequate. It would be probably impossible to get to use one if you were not of the highest rank. It would also be incredibly addictive and everyone would want to use them all the time. Its really the ultimate dream.

[@tarab9081]

People can sense acceleration as gentle as that produced by walking. The Holodeck doesn't just create a "treadmill" effect it has to trick your inner ear too.

[@Starganderfish]

Artificial gravity manipulation.

[@Glitch_Online]

a D&D campaign in there would be amazing... with the safeties off... to keep the Murder Hobos in check.

[@generaljimmies3429]

Finally, a bard seducing a dragon is no longer just words.

[@jonwhatmore5151]

Holodeck programmer: “I run Arch, BTW…”

[@UltimatePerfection]

Nah, the ultimate endpoint for gaming is the SAO/Matrix level VR. In Holodeck, you are still limited by the capabilities of your physical body. In Matrix or SAO level VR, commonly referred to as "full dive", you can have any powers you want. Not to mention such tech is by its very nature much more compact than a holodeck that requires huge rooms with holoprojectors. On top of that, IRL we are much closer to full-dive tech than we are to a holodeck. We have some forms of holograms, but they're either mirror trickery or are otherwise intangible. However, thanks to the advancements in machine learning and FMRI, we can, to some degree, read minds of people and devices such as Neuralink are capable of both reading from and writing directly to the human brain. It is easy to see in a decade or so a more advanced Neuralink-style device that would allow you to enter a virtual world of your choosing or even creation.

[@jeb_kerm1671]

Truly, reality is in the eye of the beholder. Neuralink tech is cool, but I'd personally say that the Holodeck is at least a very fun (and downright impressive) alternative.

[@lucky-segfault]

I suspect it will be more than a decade or two before implants can override our senses and motor functions good enough for full dive stuff to work, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong. I guess the one cool advantage over holodecks is that the full dive thingy can likely have you exercise while your playing a game, which might make them vital for health in space what with the lack of gravity fucking with most of our organs if we doint exercise like 4 hours a day

[@oncameramastery]

I wonder if the system could be working somewhat differently; instead of projecting lifesized images all over the place, it could simply use super advanced eye tracking to project the field of view directly in front of, or even into the person's eyes, like projecting on a set of vr goggles. This way when a person looks down and sees themselves wearing different clothes, the computer issnt having to project images over the top of their uniform, instead their not actually looking at their own body at all, just a vr representation.

[@allengilbert7463]

Rick said the holodeck is the ultimate evolution in video game technology, and I would disagree. It would essentially be VR, but entirely within the mind. You can directly stimulate nerves to simulate actions and feelings, and you don't have to worry about being physically fit or able for some of the more popular power fantasy stuff (not really badass if I cough up a lung after running two blocks). We've already seen this technology kinda in DS9 when Bashir and O'Brien went into Sloane's mind.

[@MarkOakleyComics]

Here's a nerdy story concept: Holodeck tech was completed 100 years earlier, and naturally they just progressed to direct brain manipulation: (micro transporter/replicator tech beamed directly into the user's head), and... whups! The entire Star Trek world is just the Matrix. DS9 is just a shared fantasy. "Quark" isn't just a name. It's an Easter Egg.

[@allengilbert7463]

@@MarkOakleyComics The Ferengi tech the US government got in the 50s allowed for the creation of it, and Sisko actually was Benny Russell, but is Sisko in the Matrix.

[@dorkavenger42]

The safety protocols fora D&D campaign is what made me reimagine how they must work. If a NPC attacks with a sword, creative use of projectors and force fields could safely simulate combat but eventually two players are going to square up against each other. If a player’s sword is a practical hilt but holographic blade it won’t feel right but safety protection by the computer can be controlled. So how I imagine it, even though a group of people might be in the room, each person is in its own bubble that may or may not be on the floor. The only difference I have is that in fact anybody in the holodeck never interact with a real person but a projection inside your bubble even if you just strolling through a park. So then along with the other systems involved there must be heavy use of an inertial damper to both conceal and simulate movement. I wonder if that is the leap in technology was this. Started with a single large holoroom that could look like exterior space then individual holosuites that could interact with others. To increase immersion as well as ease of use, a single holodeck was developed.

[@janetfayard672]

Really enjoyed this video! Thanks for posting. If I had been a passenger on Star Trek, I would be going to the holodeck A LOT!😂 If our species is ever capapable of traveling in space for an entire generation or two, we will certainly need many holodecks on one ship!💚

[@RetroJack]

Always remember, what happens on the holodeck stays on the holodeck! 😉

[@ArchOfWinter]

A D&D episode on Lower Deck would be so much fun.

[@richmcgee434]

Two thirds of the episode is just bitter edition wars arguments about whether 69.7 is better than D&D 70 or if they should just go with Pathfinder Reboot 42 instead. And someone on the crew turns out to be a bitter OSR snob pining for White Box days from centuries before they were even born.

[@ArchOfWinter]

Actually, now thinking about it, a D&D episode would be much more fun without Holodeck. The gang is bored and all the Holodeck is in used, so they play D&D and the animator can have fun experimenting with different art styles depending on which character's imagination is shown on screen.

[@TBHNotGonnaLie]

Always wanted to know how someone would move around in a 10 by 10 room , makes total sense now 👍

[@dimensionlordgambitmccoy9727]

I believe a more realistic version of a Holodeck, that will be more feasible is to plug yourself into a computer like in the movie "The Matrix". Morpheus: If real is what you can feel, smell, taste, and see, then 'real' is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.

[@linkeffect82]

An excellent vid on the insane awesomeness of the holodeck! While it certainly can be viewed as the ultimate gaming system (to a point), it is also, as others here have said, a critical tool for training people in various situations, and environments, giving their brains insanely accurate sensations to help prepare them for more foreign situations, beings, and tech, that push them to their limits without requiring a starship crew to create training rooms full of props that they have to constantly replace to give personnel immersive training. Nor would they just ask crew members to run through the hallways performing training regimens while imagining REALLY HARD that they were running through the jungles of zaza 2. Anyways, I enjoyed this video a lot and I look for it then next! I'm sorry to hear that the Dillithium talk riled up some people, I think you did quite well personally.

[@scottlambeth5478]

Probably the number two piece of Trek technology I would love to see happen in real life. Give me a house with holo emitters all throughout the place. You'd never have to pay for furniture or repaint ever again and redecorating would be so easy.

[@WolfA4]

Holodecks are a necessary ship system for recycling protein and amino acids to use in food replicators.

[@UCannotDefeatMyShmeat]

Great video man👍🏻 I wish I had more people to discuss this with, as I watch star trek with my parents sometimes, but most thoughts I voice that go beyond surface level reactions is responded to with “it’s just a show”

[@alexinfinite7142]

I'm so glad you did this video!

[@christopherg2347]

One peculiar issue with the holodeck are energy and space constraints. Energy was a issue in "Booby Trap" and several Voyager Episodes. And the number of Holodecks was single digit on the Enterprise, compared to 400 crew + 600 Families. So it is safe to assume access was limited/scheduled in some way.

[@JDWonders]

There's probably an efficiency curve inherent to how holodecks work that is not explored on the shows. A program that is a simple small room, like a poker table, could probably support ~1 dozen people without having to use many of the tricks necessary for a more expansive simulation. Holodeck time might have these kinds of situations factored in where if you regularly engage in a simple activity, then the commander might approve you for 1 hour of holodeck time every single day. But if you're trying to play Skyrim: Holodeck Edition (it just works!) then the commander will only give you 1 hour of holodeck time a month.

[@jetison333]

The rooms are pretty tall and wide, so given enough computation the computer could probably stack a ridiculous number of people inside of a holodeck. It doesn't seem like holodeck time is limited at all, heck even Barclay was able to spend a ridiculous amount of time in it.

[@mokwella]

I guess the holodeck tech doesn't clean things up entirely, since cleaning the holodeck is a job on the USS Cerritos.

[@cristsan4171]

The Star Trek Lower -Intelligence- Deck lack the -brain cells- ability to install self-cleaning

[@richmcgee434]

Consider the possibility that they've turned the "splooge mopping" function off solely so that cleaning the holodeck can be assigned as a punishment detail. Or, y'know, it's a joke because the show's a comedy.

[@clancykohl]

Or the system is just faulty, after all it is supposedly some rather insignificant ship and some minor malfunction in the Holodeck cleanup wouldn't be fixed timely, and the onboard engineers couldn't be bothered with it either, or lack the means to fix it.

[@ezri6585]

One thing I've always wondered about: in voyager they mention replicator rations but wouldn't a way to get around that be to just order food at a restaurant on the holodeck?

[@deanlawson6880]

Good video on the Holodecks! I especially like the way that Geordi uses the holodecks for simulation and technology and tactics improvements, and also his simulation of Dr. Leah Brahms... Heh... Real easy to go off on a tangent with tech like the Holodecks!

[@adammcgirt7123]

True vr/holodeck is the pinnacle of technology. The limit is your imagination. Just think, you could be the biggest rock star, storm the beaches of Normandy, conquer the galaxy as Darth Vader. Anything is possible, I'm currently 34, hopefully the tech will reach true fully immersive virtual reality before I die

[@GoodVideos4]

The concept of the holodeck, in Star Trek, was first in that rejected pilot 'The Cage'. It was then a case of doing with technology, with the Talosians did with illusions.

[@camerongunn7906]

Actually I would love to see an episode on how they dealt with Wastewater, sewage, and water reclamation.

[@allengilbert7463]

I've always assumed replicators. Break that stuff down into energy or some form of inert matter, ready to make new water and food. Presumably, if you just break it down into energy again you can use it to save on some of the energy used in the conversion process, making it a little more efficient.

[@lucky-segfault]

If not replicators, then likely a more mature form of the water recycling systems we already have on earth and spacecrafts. Replicators are cool, but they have huge power demands so some graphite filters and pumps would likely be more efficient

[@WildBluntHickok]

Fun fact: when they released the first ship blueprint for Star Trek (during the TOS days) they accidentally confirmed that there's no toilets on the Enterprise.

[@streetguru9350]

It doesn't need wall sized projectors, it merely needs to cover the person's eyes or general field of vision like a traditional VR headset.

[@tommyaoi1183]

Awesome!! Thanks for the Insight. 😀😀😀

[@michaelrobb9542]

I bet Bethesda would port Skyrim to the holodeck.

[@SnazBrigade]

Lower Decks should do this if they arent cowards.

[@michaelrobb9542]

I hope this happens.

[@Tommy-pv1vh]

Complete with its wonky physics engine

[@michaelrobb9542]

Lol, imagine Oblivion faces in the holodeck?

[@Chokah]

@@michaelrobb9542 The Councillor would never have a day off ever again.

[@KevinLockamy]

Holodeck Safety Check Procedure: 1) Replicate a ham 2) Program an attacking Klingon warrior 3) As the warrior begins his attack, throw ham at him. If he slices threw the ham then the safety system is malfunctioning. Use the ham to make a sandwich to enjoy as you examine the individual components.

[@KingofPotatoPeople]

I used VR extensively during lockdowns so I get the importance of a Holodeck on a spaceship!

[@battlesheep2552]

I don't know about injuries. If the holodeck uses forcefields to hold you in place and uses gravity generators to create the sensation of accelerating without actually accelerating, then if you fall over, it's not like you're actually falling over. With the amount of calculations required to make everything work, it would be trivial for it to anticipate when someone is going to get hurt and adjust accordingly. Say you try to hit a brick wall as hard as you can, at the last instant a holodeck could detect the imminent injury and alter the force fields to give the wall the hardness of gelatin.

[@jetison333]

That would be quite the experience, walk around a brick wall and touch it and feel that it'd basically a normal brick wall, and then try to run into and it turns all soft.

[@russmiddleton5486]

Subs can remain out on patrol for several months at a time, only surfacing again when they are back in home waters. But they do have real beer.

[@raideurng2508]

No they don't

[@russmiddleton5486]

@@raideurng2508 Royal Navy they do.]

[@lucky-segfault]

@@raideurng2508 maybe not officially, but .....

[@tyler4418]

(whispers to everyone) He's talking about jizz... 😂

[@cashvault1996]

I would program the holodeck to recreate the environment of Main Street-Disneyland, Ca.-approx. 9pm-Holiday Season. When that would look so pretty, it would be cool to hear its background Christmas music, see the parade or the fireworks, and sit on a bench inside watching it with a cup of peppermint hot chocolate.

[@RandomGamer-qy6ys]

So what if we are all in a holo deck program on a mother ship and we are here learning about historic earth but we forgot

[@andromidius]

The thing that would worry me on a holodeck is if the program malfunctions slightly and creates an item in the space you're currently standing. If its an interactive item it'll have a force field to give it perceived mass. I imagine a force field being generated inside you would damage your internal organs or maybe even cut you into pieces. I suspect even with the safeties 'off' the computer will know better then to do such a thing. Hopefully.

[@AndrewJamesWilliams]

When you think about it holodecks are an incredibly advanced piece of technology.

[@w49660]

It'd be easier to wrap a force field sphere around a person's head and show images on it, regardless of how close they are to one another. Then just space them out with force field treadmills, use forcefields for walls and things they touch, and only replicate what they reach for.

[@ralfmaximus4295]

I think it was in the original 1968 Making of Star Trek book where Roddenberry first describes how crew members on the Enterprise can receive and interact with "holographic messages" from their loved ones back home. Like instead of reading a letter, you'd experience a 3D video of the sender as if they were right in front of you. I recall Roddenberry being frustrated with not being able to depict this technology in TOS, then finally doing so in the 1973 Animated series... but obviously amped up to what we eventually called the Holodeck in TNG. Including the first depicted holodeck mishap. Anyway, it's a core Trek concept that goes back to the very beginning.

[@pauledge1621]

Don't forget the holodeck can actually create conciousness if you ask it to make an opponent capable of defeating Data.

[@Tylerpierre99]

That always bothered me.

[@hackman669]

@@Tylerpierre99 Time to upgrade the safeties!!!

[@TheJaguarthChannel]

Imagine holodeck pranks, carry a friend into a holodeck while they're asleep, and program it with their normal life. Wait for them to figure it out

[@generaljimmies3429]

Manifest a pissed off dragon when they awake, or one that wants some sexy times.

[@Mastervitro]

Shame they never combined Holodeck and Subspace technologies to make MMOs

[@diosnelfrica7589]

Rick saying all that about a ship reminded me of a submarine. No room, ceilings, compressed air. Sht we need some holodecks you know.

[@toomanyaccounts]

very large subs have gyms and even spas. still no one wants to have canned beans be brought aboard a sub

[@jayb8934]

One scenario that I don't think the holodeck could compensate for: Let's say two (real) people walk away from each other to an apparent distance of say 20 meters apart. The holodeck would simulate this with the "treadmill" floor and false perspective as described. But suppose one person threw a real object at the other person. I can't think of any way that the holodeck could simulate the object travelling 20 meters when the people are nowhere near that far apart in reality... Unless it could go so far as to catch the object in some some of tractor beam and slow its motion to account for the supposed longer distance, and project a false perspective to both observers the entire way! But that seems crazy difficult to do on the fly, even with Star Trek level technology. When I first started thinking of this it was just hypothetical, but now I can think of one example of this actually needing to happen... The baseball episode in DS9! There's no way that the holosuite is as large as a baseball field, and it would have had to provide constant fake perspectives for almost 2 dozen people participating in the game! It might be made somewhat easier by the ball being holographic rather than real, but it would still be very difficult to simulate! Now that I think about it, this impresses me more than warp drive or transporters!

[@becausepuppets]

I had the same thought, mate. You articulated better than I would have.

[@WildBluntHickok]

Yeah you let the holodeck provide the thrown objects, you don't bring them in with you. In fact I wonder if someone could exploit a holodeck by bringing in a coin in their pocket and flicking it at where you think someone really is halfway through a shared program. Not sure what you'd gain from the trick mind you.

[@Starganderfish]

Tractor beams seem to be basically variations on gravity tech and force field tech so the tech is already there for that. Additionally, Replicator tech is probably an offshoot of Transporter tech. If holodecks incorporate image and force field projection, replicators and artificial gravity, they probably also leverage transporter and Tractor tech to move things around. Easy enough to hide the visual and audible transporter effects using the other holodeck trickery.

[@ns0557212]

At least in Star Trek Online they are always tuning the holodecks and the quark always sells holodeck programs. I believe the programs is what makes the program so realistic, for instance the holodeck and programs are probably built extremely tough and good on a Galaxy Starship but in an old refit cardassian spacestation well a cheap one may only have half a glass. Like the DS9 episode where quark replaces his whole bar crew with Holoprograms and they kept phasing out and dropping drinks!

[@DrDeFord]

So why did they put the sleek, fast replicators in the holodeck, whereas everyone has to wait a couple seconds for their food at the food replicators?

[@Krahazik]

Economy of systems. The holodecks have their own dedicated high end computer suites to handle everything and they are power hungry. Food replicators are smaller more economical units. after all, there are significantly more food replicators than holodecks on the ship. It's also possible that food replicated in the food replicator is of better quality then food replicated on the holodeck.