Questions tagged [economics]
A social science that looks at the distribution of wealth in a society and assumes that changes in supply and demand of a scarce resource may be reasonably predicted.
66
questions
130
votes
14
answers
18k
views
Why and how did the Star Trek Universe evolve to a cashless/commerce-less society?
I've always wondered this ... I recall fleeting references to the lack of a money system in TNG (something about abandoning the quest for material wealth), but was it ever explained why and how and ...
64
votes
15
answers
16k
views
Why is the Star Wars universe not a post-scarcity economy?
In Star Wars, we have a galactic civilization with seemingly simple travel and a high level of automation available.
This would seem to be sufficient for ushering in a post-scarcity economy: On a ...
62
votes
8
answers
13k
views
What was the value of the Shire and everything in it?
We know for a fact — leastways, according to Mithrandir — that a certain corslet of mithril chainmail would be valued more than the Shire and everything in it:
‘What?’ cried Gimli, startled out of ...
55
votes
6
answers
15k
views
Why are credits "no good" on Tatooine?
This question got me thinking, about the nature of currency and space.
When Qui-Gon tries to buy ship parts from Watto he gets this response.
Qui-Gon Jinn: I have twenty thousand Republic dataries....
53
votes
8
answers
15k
views
What is the Economic system of the Potterverse?
The annual student intake of Hogwarts seems about 100. Since in book 7 Hogwarts is declared mandatory for all children, this means that the total magical population of Britain cannot be much more than ...
52
votes
12
answers
14k
views
How to reconcile the cashless human/Federation society with human traders and merchants
From a variety of sources, including this great question, we know that the Federation (or at least the humans) don't use money. This raises the problem that humans frequently visit worlds where there ...
46
votes
3
answers
13k
views
Why are there cargo ships in the Star Trek universe when they have replicators?
Why are there cargo ships in the Star Trek stories?
With replicator technology and FTL communication, there is no need for cargo ships. You can just transmit the computer files on how to replicate ...
40
votes
5
answers
16k
views
How well are professors paid at Hogwarts?
Just kind of a curious question that came to mind while looking at this answer about who gifted Harry the Nimbus 2000 (a fairly expensive broom at the time, I would imagine) which says it was ...
34
votes
6
answers
10k
views
What's the point of Super Star Destroyers?
To my knowledge, a regular Imperial Star Destroyer is a massive source of firepower and will intimidate most opposition in to not even trying to fight back. As for the few that would try and fight ...
33
votes
1
answer
11k
views
Does everyone always eat, drink and sleep for free everywhere in Middle-earth?
Maybe it has to do with the specific and unique circumstances in which the characters we follow in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings find themselves, but it seems to me that everyone always assumes ...
33
votes
4
answers
8k
views
How did the Rangers of the North make a living in the Lord of the Rings?
How did Aragorn and other Rangers make a living? Were they employed by some kingdom? If so, which one?
Or if not, did they just eat what they found/hunted in nature? In that case, was the motivation ...
33
votes
11
answers
26k
views
Where does time come from in the movie "In Time"?
In Time shows a world where time is currency. The film explains that on a person's 25th birthday, their clock "starts ticking", with one year on it. From that point forward, they can buy and sell ...
32
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Are there businesses in Mordor?
This is a fairly straightforward question. In The Two Towers, it is revealed that Sauron pays his armies. When Merry and Pippin are abducted by Orcs, the Orcs argue about what to do with them. An ...
31
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Does the Federation have anything resembling intellectual property laws or agreements?
I know Star Trek is set in a post-scarcity economy based partly on replicator technology, which makes the expensive items of today (e.g., fashionable clothes, fast cars, beautiful furniture) ...
30
votes
4
answers
6k
views
How do ordinary citizens get around the Federation?
It's a common plot in Star Trek series for the Enterprise to be tasked with transporting various VIP's to destinations where they are needed urgently - an ambassador to a treaty ceremony, a doctor to ...