Yo mama so large, she's a "plus-sized" language model.
ApostleO
I think there was also an episode where Voyager smuggled some people through hostile space by hiding them in the pattern buffer.
Oh, for sure. I'm fine with that. But it seems clear that the writers aren't, and neither are many Trekkies.
It's my head-canon conspiracy theory that the true workings of the transporter are hidden/obfuscated, even from the technicians and engineers, to avoid the existential dread of facing the truth: you die, and then it clones you.
All these systems to make it appear as if it's a single, consistent matter stream, to leave room for the possibility of a consistent consciousness or even soul. It all falls apart in light of William Riker. You can't duplicate matter. The only feasible explanation is that they got his scan, and successfully materialized him, but the signal that would have disintegrated the original failed.
Tuvix died because people couldn't accept how many times they had technically killed their colleagues, or commited suicide.
Except when it is very disturbing.
See also: any time an AI has been given command of a vessel (except Data, and even then he caused problems a couple times).
The in-universe answer re: drones would be that people want to explore. Sure, it's dangerous, but it's also exciting, fascinating, and fulfilling. That said, I feel like a responsible captain would make much more extensive use of probes than any of the shows.
Re: data streams, I don't have a good in-universe explanation. I have a similar question of why they don't have security cameras in all the hallways and public areas.
Also, using the transporter to go down to a planet always runs the risk of some storm or an orbital threat stranding your party. Why not use the shuttle as SOP? It gives your away team more resources, both for their mission and for an emergency.
I commented in another post that my phrase would be his "Let's go!"
I love when Reno calls Stamets "Bobcat".
I love that, despite not recognizing this as a Simpsons reference until seeing the comments, I still read the last panel to the Meow Mix jingle, because you used the correct number of Meows.
Borg Sphere - best ship.
When I did that mission, they never specified the neutral zone was there, so I operated under the assumption we were in Federation space. When the birds of pray appeared, there was no option to hail (or they didn't respond), so I just beat them. And they attacked one at a time. Felt really cheesy, like they used Kobayashi Maru as a reference without actually replicating the test, because it also served as the tutorial.
Kobayashi Maru should have been the last mission, not the first. And it should be properly impossible.