Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!sri-unix!BALZAC%YKTVMZ.BITNET@Berkeley From: BALZAC%YKTVMZ.BITNET%Berkeley@sri-unix.UUCP Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: Matter Transmission Message-ID: <12478@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Wed, 15-Aug-84 16:03:19 EDT Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.12478 Posted: Wed Aug 15 16:03:19 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 18-Aug-84 01:02:57 EDT Lines: 14 From: Stephen R. BalzacAnother story dealing with Matter Transmission is Players of Null-A and World of Null-A by Van Vogt. His matter transmitters do not create duplicates, or disassemble the subject, but rather work on a the principle of similarity: if you make the starting point A similiar enough to the destination point B, then an object at A will move to B, the amount of time involved depending on how close the similarity is. While the principle is not the most accurate, it does enable a society to exist without having any of the cultural problems involved in matter transmission. A comment from ST: In the novelization of ST III, there is a line to the effect that only groups such as StarFleet can make use of a transporter. It's far too expensive for commercial use.