5 ms·
I've always wondered why we never really saw toilets in Star Trek. They never really could re-imagine them back then (or now). I have several fully automatic T
by manav 8y ago
I've always wondered why we never really saw toilets in Star Trek. They never really could re-imagine them back then (or now).
I have several fully automatic Totos (which have to abide by California/US water usage rules).. and while the bidets, seat heating, and automisting (it sprays water every 15-30 seconds to try to keep the bowl clean) features are nice the water limits and bowl design make it a pain to clean and maintain if you get what I mean. It's also basically useless if theres no electricity, I believe you can manually flush once if the power goes out with a pull-cord. For western/developed countries I think there is still a big market for a better toilet.
In developing countries obviously infrastructure is an issue, but for sewage would a composting toilet not be a viable option? Maybe solar powered for some higher power exhaust and ventilation along with water treatment/sanitation. It's kind of the low tech version of how Star Trek would turn matter into energy.
- teddyh 8y ago> I've always wondered why we never really saw toilets in Star Trek. When the original series was made, you couldn’t show a toilet on TV – it simply wasn’t allowed. But, beginning in 1989 with the release of the feature film Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, you do get the occasional glimpse of an actual toilet here and there. http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Toilet http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Toilet
- pbhjpbhj 8y agoAllowed as in illegal? Which country, what regulations?
- arusahni 8y agoIn the USA: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/potty-time/ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/potty-time/
- pbhjpbhj 8y agoWhich intimates it was allowed but that studio policies, it again intimates, might be responsible. It does say one single TV series never showed a toilet, but only a tank. Interesting taboo nonetheless. I always thought it was just not done because it generally isn't moving a story on to show someone on the toilet. Books don't usually mention characters using the toilet either. I've played videogames with an eating mechanic but never one where you needed to defecate (though Sims could when I last played that).
- scarejunba 8y agoI think it was more like a taboo. Not illegal but it was going to get cut anyway in the USA.
- tome 8y agoThis is the closest I could get from 1973, "The Sting" https://youtu.be/M78dkPzChPw?t=4733 https://youtu.be/M78dkPzChPw?t=4733
- lbriner 8y agoYes, composting toilets are absolutely a solution for many countries but for some reason, they have never been well-supported enough to take hold. Many individual examples have been built that use locally available materials (like nets in a fishing village) but these are one-offs. I saw some UN project but of course it was 20 toilets and 50,000 pages of reports and paperwork so that didn't really work out. For much less money, Bill Gates could have produced some internationally accepted standard designs that could be open sourced for local production and even "flat pack" style for people to easily construct. The guy has a great heart but this does look like a case of tech seeing everything as a technical problem.
- pbhjpbhj 8y ago>For western/developed countries I think there is still a big market for a better toilet. // A way to _simply_ use rainwater that can be cheaply retrofitted would be good.
- pp19dd 8y agoOur imaginations are so limited. If they have teleportation technology, ...