Self-replication was a property of matter, its ability to reproduce itself. Although broadly speaking it included the DNA of lifeforms, the term was more often used in the 23rd and 24th centuries to refer to non-living objects.
Examples[]
Viruses have been defined variously as living and non-living, but they could self-replicate. (TNG novel: Spartacus)
Nanites were self-replicating, and could reuse material even from within a Human body for that purpose. (VOY novel: The Nanotech War)
Interstellar Swarm units harvested stellar matter to power their self-replication. (TOS - New Visions comic: "Swarm")
The chromosomes of Choblik contained self-replicating nanotech to pass along cyborg upgrades to biological offspring. (TTN novel: Orion's Hounds)
Dalen believed the Horta evolved from self-replicating mining machines whose creators died off or left, and suggested the possibility of a similar origin for the Jenolan Dyson Sphere. (TNG novel: Dyson Sphere)
The Lokra once sent self-replicating mining machines to another planet to procure metals. (SCE eBook: Spin)
Biotechnology could be used to self-heal and self-replicate organisms that augmented various starship functions. (TOS - The Captain's Table novel: War Dragons)
Self-replication could be paused by an antigraviton beam, at least for self-replicating mines. (DS9 - The Dominion War novelization: ...Sacrifice of Angels)
History and specifics[]
In the 20th century, John von Neumann on Earth conceived of the idea of self-replication. As such, nonliving objects having this capability were sometimes called von Neumann machines. (TOS - Star Trek: The Manga - Shinsei Shinsei comic: "Anything But Alone", TOS novel: Ex Machina)
In the 21st century on Miri's homeworld, scientists developed a self-replicating virus-like substance that acted to replace damaged cells, and would have been able to prevent cancer. (TOS novelization: Miri)
The Corona entity attempted to create a self-replicating quantum singularity in order to destroy and recreate the universe. (TOS novel: Corona)
In 2255 in the Kelvin timeline, a self-replicating nanoswarm was analyzed in San Francisco by Leonard McCoy and Parag Chandar. (TOS - Starfleet Academy novel: The Delta Anomaly)
In 2366, Wesley Crusher produced a colony of self-replicating, sentient nanites that were allowed to grow into a civilization on Kavis Alpha IV. (TNG episode: "Evolution")
In 2376, Rom created self-replicating mines to barricade the Bajoran wormhole from invading Dominion starships. (DS9 episode: "Call to Arms")
Later that year, Nog took inspiration from that idea to create self-replicating transporter relays in an Oort cloud to significantly extend USS Defiant's transporter range and bypass a blockade for a rescue mission. (DS9 - Mission Gamma novel: Cathedral)
In 2377 in the Mirror Universe, Selona fired 48 missiles armed with a self-replicating metagenic pathogen at random Cardassian planets. The techonology had been developed in an Obsidian Order bioweapons laboratory. (ST - Mirror Universe novel: Rise Like Lions)
In 2381, The Doctor determined that Seven of Nine's catom's were self-replicating. (VOY novel: Protectors)
In 2381, a self-replicating minefield was considered for use in the Azure Nebula to defend against Borg incursions, but instability within the nebula prevented effective deployment. (ST - Destiny novel: Mere Mortals)
Self-replicating objects[]
Organic[]
Inorganic[]
- Casimir sink
- catom
- computer virus
- computer worm
- nanite
- nanoassembler
- nanoprobe
- nanoswarm
- self-replicating mine
- self-replicating mining machine
- Swarm
Appendices[]
References[]
- TOS novelization: Miri
- TNG episode: "Evolution"
- DS9 episode: "Call to Arms"
- DS9 - The Dominion War novelization: ...Sacrifice of Angels
- Short Treks episode: "The Trouble with Edward"
- TOS novel: Preserver
- TOS - The Captain's Table novel: War Dragons
- TOS novel: Ex Machina
- TOS - Starfleet Academy novel: The Delta Anomaly
- TOS - New Visions comic: "Swarm"
- TOS - Star Trek: The Manga - Shinsei Shinsei comic: "Anything But Alone"
- TNG novel: Spartacus
- TNG novel: Greater Than the Sum
- TNG novel: Dyson Sphere
- TNG - S31 novel: Rogue
- VOY novel: Protectors
- VOY novel: The Nanotech War
- TLE novel: Well of Souls
- ST - Mirror Universe novel: Rise Like Lions
- ST - Destiny novel: Mere Mortals
- TTN novel: Orion's Hounds
- SCE eBook: Spin
External links[]
- Self-replication article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Self-replication article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.