Editing Cylon detector

[[File:TRS - Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down - Baltar and Blood Samples.jpg|thumb|[[Gaius Baltar]] with innumerable trays of blood samples from various persons in {{RDM|the Fleet}}, all for testing via the [[Cylon detector]] {{TRS|Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down}}.]]
A '''Cylon detector''' is a scientific method of determining whether a subject is human or a [[humanoid Cylon]].

Created by Dr. [[Gaius Baltar]], the test is administered by subjecting a person's blood to plutonium embedded in a carbon nanotube matrix. A filter preferentially ionizes synthetic molecules, as Cylons are susceptible to certain kinds of radiation, such as that of the storm around [[Ragnar Anchorage]]. The plutonium was taken from one of ''{{RDM|Galactica}}''{{'|s}} [[Missile Tubes|nuclear warheads]], at the suggestion of [[Messenger Six]] {{TRS|Bastille Day}}. The test results are simple: either "red" for Cylon, or "green" for human. As a test cycle runs approximately 11 hours, Baltar estimates it will take over 60 years (sans breaks for sleep, food, bathroom, etc.) to test the whole Fleet [[Survivor count|of 47,905 souls]] {{TRS|Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down}}.

== Development ==
[[File:TRS - Flesh and Bone - Boomer's Cylon Detector Test Result.jpg|thumb|[[Gaius Baltar]] has his first successful identification of {{callsign|Boomer}} as a {{RDM|Cylon}} using his Cylon detector {{TRS|Flesh and Bone}}.]]
Development work on the Cylon detector had previously been halted when Dr. Baltar was accused by [[Shelly Godfrey]] of being a traitor and temporarily thrown in the [[brig]]. Baltar's "innocence" was proven, however, by Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]] {{TRS|Six Degrees of Separation}}, who had previously been ordered by Commander [[William Adama|Adama]] to assist Baltar in the development of the device {{TRS|Water}}. Although considered a military secret, the Cylon detector is nevertheless the subject of constant rumor and innuendo {{TRS|Act of Contrition}}.

[[Messenger Six]] is the one who initially suggests the construction of the Cylon detector by using the nuclear materials {{TRS|Bastille Day}}. Baltar was put in charge of the project because of his known genius and his earlier detection of the fleet's first Cylon infiltrator, [[Number Five#PR Executive Copy|Aaron Doral]], which was also greatly influenced by the image of Number Six {{TRS|Miniseries, Night 2}}. Ironically, the Cylon detection method that Baltar claimed to have used on Doral was pure nonsensical [[technobabble]], unlike his later device.

== Deployment ==
The functioning Cylon detector created by Baltar confirms that [[Sharon Valerii]] is indeed a Cylon, a fact that Baltar hides from Valerii, fearing what her Cylon persona would do were he to tell her {{TRS|Flesh and Bone}}. After discovering that it would be easier for him to make all the results "green," Baltar alters the device to mimic this method of thinking {{TRS|Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down}}. However, after Sharon Valerii shoots Commander Adama, everyone believes the Cylon detector to be a failure, thinking that it did not pick up her Cylon nature {{TRS|Resistance (episode)|Resistance|He That Believeth in Me}}. 

== Alternative Methods ==
Due to the abandonment of the detector, Dr. [[Sherman Cottle]] is limited to comparing the DNA of [[Daniel Novacek]] and {{callsign|Starbuck}} with their records to check that they are not Cylon duplicates, as such fakes would presumably have some genetic difference from the human originals. [[Tory Foster]] points out that this method is ineffective if the subject has always been a Cylon, as all twelve Cylon models are {{TRS|Hero|He That Believeth in Me}}.

The Cylons themselves have accurate and reliable protocols for determining the difference between humans and Cylons. Their testing methods determine that the [[Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)|Thirteenth Tribe]] were Cylons {{TRS|Sometimes a Great Notion}}.

== Notes ==

* The effectiveness of Baltar's detector in detecting the [[Final Five]] is unknown, since the only member of the Five to be tested onscreen is [[Ellen Tigh]], and Baltar said to Messenger Six that he would "never tell" when she asked what Ellen's true results were. 
* The [[Lymphocytic encephalitis]] virus is accidentally discovered as fatal to humanoid Cylon physiology but harmless to humans {{TRS|A Measure of Salvation}}. While this revelation could be used as a future detector, there have been no indications of research in this direction.
* It's never made clear just what Baltar used as his control sample (the sample which the blood taken from the citizens was tested against to prove whether an individual was a human) though the most likely answer is he used tissue from the [[Number Two|Leoben Conoy]] Commander Adama encountered on [[Ragnar Anchorage]], available to him in the [[morgue]] adjoining [[Medlab|his lab]].

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Cylons]]
[[Category:Cylons (RDM)]]
[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Technology (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

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