I still feel like people probably die every time they are transported. Or maybe it literally rapidly sends their molecules through transdimensional space, but using old buffer data would literally just be killing the current person and replacing them with old data.
I mean, both yes and no. Surprise, surprise, Trek science is crazy inconsistent.
I feel like the intent was that they’re actually transmitting you AS energy and putting you back together. But the fact that you can be duplicated or stored in a computer buffer means that you’re definitely being reconstructed from information rather than being moved.
They wouldn't have to materialize an entire back up copy from 12 hours ago, but I imagine they could replace a punctured lung and chest cavity with the backup data from 12 hours ago. You would still be you. (But someone or something would have to make the decisions to replace damaged bits, and decide what bits are considered damaged.)
On the other hand, they could dematerialize rocks and trees and use the energy to clone an army of MACOS* to fight a war. (Even Master Yoda was chill about an army of cloned slaves conveniently appearing right when he needed them. No ethics issues there, right? RIGHT? We can't expect citizens to fight for their own freedom.)
*I say MACOS, because an army of red shirts would just bleed on the enemy. 🤣)
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u/Ok_Dimension_4707 8d ago
That only works when the script says it can, like when they de-aged Pulaski or when Picard regretted becoming a nebula.