Star Trek Tech: What Exactly Is A Replicator?

Cardassian Replicators Can Be Dangerous

Starfleet Replicators Are Elegant

Tea, Earl Grey, Hot. So says Captain Jean-Luc Picard on his Starship Enterprise and after a sparkling light show he’s drinking his favorite beverage.

It’s all about those wild and wacky replicators. How? What is a replicator? Is it a fancy 3D printer? C’mon. Let’s talk the 3D Printers of the United Federation of Planets.