Just a note: Star Trek never directly proposes to transport subjects molecule for molecule between two points, though it sure seems that way on the surface. If you watch the special features for some of the motion pictures, it's explained that the only conceivable way for transporters to actually work would be for a duplicate to be created at point B while the original at point A is broken down or destroyed (just like in "The Prestige"). That's how it seems this experiment was conducted (and apparently successful at it, to boot).