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Of course, no-one ever seems to live like that, at least, not in Star Trek. Everyone seems to have something to do, but their “jobs” are better viewed as hobbies and not as a way of earning a living. Artists no longer have to worry about starving, and scientists don’t have to worry about funding. Since routine tasks have long since been left to the machines, humans can focus on creativity.

One of the reasons why Star Trek continues to have such a strong hold on our imaginations is its message that people will find other ways of defining themselves, and in the best way possible: by drawing on humanity’s capacity for creation

But what drives people to excel? There are still some things in the 24th century about which people still care deeply and which remain in limited supply: status and reputation, for instance. Starfleet, the Federation’s exploration and defence agency, is above all a military institution, and those who serve in it are motivated by its values, not material comfort. The rewards for performing well are promotion, greater responsibility and the respect of your comrades. The Klingons, too, are driven by a code of honour. (From the looks of it, the Ferengi have yet to make the transition to a post-scarcity economy.)

For those outside of Starfleet, the stakes are murkier. Reputation certainly matters: the Enterprise is frequently visited by people who are presented as leaders in their spheres, and who are preoccupied with maintaining that status. But not everyone can be leaders in prestigious fields: what do they do?

If the Internet is any indication, the answer is probably more of what they’re already doing. There are already millions of people producing content (text, music and video), curating sites about whatever interests them, or contributing to collaborative projects such as Wikipedia. Some of these projects will attract more attention than others, and people will always have an incentive to improve and to increase their audience.