The Economic Lessons of Star Trek's Money-Free Society

A few years ago Manu Saadia, a longtime Star Trek fan, went looking for a book about the economics of Star Trek. When he couldn't find one, he decided to write his own. The result, Trekonomics, has drawn praise from economists such as Brad DeLong and Joshua Gans. Saadia says that Star Trek is one of the few science fiction universes that grapple with the idea that money may someday become obsolete. "It's made clear and emphasized several times in the course of the show that the Federation does not have money," Saadia says in Episode 205 of the Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast.