How do the Cylons download?

[Zompton]

So we all know the Cylons download automatically when their body dies, but how exactly do they transmit what must be an extremely large amount of data? Since early in the show we have been performing autopsy's on Cylons and never found any physical differences, only that there tissue or blood is synthetically created. So, how is it done if there is no chip in that brain, and only a normal brain?

Well one popular part of sci-fi is telekinesis or psychokinesis. Now i strongly believe that this show is greatly on the science side of things, and not the spiritual, so we will try to stay within that realm. If you read the wiki at the following link, you can see that telekinesis or psychokinesis is a theory that people are trying to push towards real life studies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychokinesis

I don't know much about this at all, but i think it is safe to say there are untapped portions of the human brain that might allow some alternate form of communication, rather than projected noises.

Assuming the human brain is capable of projecting and receiving wireless signals, much like any wireless device, this opens up many possibilities in the show. Unless there is something big i missed in the show (and i am still a nugget) this is the only explanation i could possible see for the question of how the heck Cylons download.

There are also theory's that the final five might in fact be "spirits" that inhabit a body, and this would easily support that theory, but in a more scientific manner. If that be the case, the only thing that makes the final 5 special is they know to to manipulate this portion of the brain, allowing them to take on any human body. (i have a theory on this but that is best left for another topic) This would also allow for the possibility that Baltar and Caprica 6 are actually communicating with each other, and they are not just insane. (this is my personal favorite tbh, i strongly feel (more hope) that the show will end with just Baltar and 6, but thats for another discussion) On the same note, it would also explain the dreams shared between Roslin, 6, and Athena.

So, assuming i didn't miss some huge part of the show that discredits this completely, what are your thoughts?

[Osprey]

telekinesis of some sort to explain downloading; i can buy

however, the whole "ghosts" inside each of the final five -- no sale ...

[Zompton]

telekinesis of some sort to explain downloading; i can buy

however, the whole "ghosts" inside each of the final five -- no sale ...

Understandable. I have a theory about the final five, but i don't necessarily think it will turn out to be true.

[Osprey]

i presume said theory is related to the above staement -- "allowing them to take on any human body" -- and yeah, i would concur that's prolyl not gonna come true ...

/5 more months of waiting, this is starting to grind ...

[BSGfan-atic]

I don't want to come across rudely or anything like that, but when I see a word being misapplied, it brings out the school teacher and philologist in me. According to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary (pretty much the standard dictionary here in the U.S.), telekinesis means "the production of motion in objects (as by a spiritualistic medium) without contact or other physical means." Seeing as this is more applicable to physical objects, I think a better word would be telepathy, which means "communication from one mind to another by extrasensory means." Another possibility would be telemetry, which means "the science of process of telemetering data," or "data transmitted by telemetry." Telemeter itself deals with the transmission of data. The Cylons being the ultimate in robots, would have developed ways to use the body's own electrical impulses and nervous system as a transmitter. I am one of the few people in the world (according to my students) who is willingly foregoing the joys of having 500 channels brought into my house by cable or satellite. I have therefore had the experience of holding onto the "rabbit ears" in order to get better reception. I think that if something so simple as this can help to receive electronic signals, then the Cylons must surely have come up with some REALLY nifty way to transmit as well. Maybe a little TOO much information, but what the heck, school teacher impulses are pretty hard to control, especially as I am getting warmed up for the new school year! LOL.

[genji2000]

So we all know the Cylons download automatically when their body dies,

They upload when they die if they're in range of a Resurrection Ship (or presumably the Hub) - downloading is the transfer of the consciousness into a new body, or the accessing of a copy's memories by another copy.

but how exactly do they transmit what must be an extremely large amount of data?

Differential backups. The original download is the big one. After that they're only uploading new memories.

Since early in the show we have been performing autopsy's on Cylons and never found any physical differences, only that there tissue or blood is synthetically created. So, how is it done if there is no chip in that brain, and only a normal brain?

BSGfan-atic's telemetry explanation is a good one I think. The Cylons use receptors on the fingers to communicate with and control the Baseship (and each other I suppose). I don't think those receptors are little nanochips, just that they've developed a method of utilising the body's nerves to enable this. They could do the same thing with the upload transmission. Doc Cottle said he was perplexed that when the Cylons redesigned the human body they didn't upgrade the plumbing. They're physiologically identical to humans but have improved the operation of the body on a microscopic level. Maybe. It's just conjecture, but I don't think we need this explained in detail. It just is.

Well one popular part of sci-fi is telekinesis or psychokinesis. Now i strongly believe that this show is greatly on the science side of things, and not the spiritual, so we will try to stay within that realm. If you read the wiki at the following link, you can see that telekinesis or psychokinesis is a theory that people are trying to push towards real life studies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychokinesis

That's wikipedia. The wiki is this (http://en.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page).

I don't know much about this at all, but i think it is safe to say there are untapped portions of the human brain that might allow some alternate form of communication, rather than projected noises.

Assuming the human brain is capable of projecting and receiving wireless signals, much like any wireless device, this opens up many possibilities in the show. Unless there is something big i missed in the show (and i am still a nugget) this is the only explanation i could possible see for the question of how the heck Cylons download.

It's as good as any other explanation.

There are also theory's that the final five might in fact be "spirits" that inhabit a body, and this would easily support that theory, but in a more scientific manner. If that be the case, the only thing that makes the final 5 special is they know to to manipulate this portion of the brain, allowing them to take on any human body. (i have a theory on this but that is best left for another topic) This would also allow for the possibility that Baltar and Caprica 6 are actually communicating with each other, and they are not just insane. (this is my personal favorite tbh, i strongly feel (more hope) that the show will end with just Baltar and 6, but thats for another discussion) On the same note, it would also explain the dreams shared between Roslin, 6, and Athena.

So, assuming i didn't miss some huge part of the show that discredits this completely, what are your thoughts?

I think this is reasonable, taking BSGfan-atic's clarification into account. I don't think they're going to go with the ghost-inhabitation thing, but that's just my opinion.

Regarding how Cylons download though, try this (http://www.battlestarforum.com/showthread.php?p=16052#post16052). Pages 12 and 13 are the most relevant I think - when you hit the Circus post it goes off into a discussion about Sharons specifically.

[Osprey]

um, is there a reason i can't access that thread?

[genji2000]

Are you a member of the Season Four Spoilers Group (User CP, Group Membership)?

You're a CAG now. You shouldn't be asking questions like that.

[Osprey]

Sheesh, i forget to click on lousy join group button and the CMDR is all over my ass ...


/and yeah, i'm pretty stoked about the promotion!

[laisan]

I guess, it would be like the Apple Time Capsule? In terms that the data/memories would be sent via a wifi to the hub (Apple TC), and upon downloading into a new body would be like using Time Machine to retrieve the previous data/memories. This is just how I would interpret it.

[constella]

My theory is that human body generates very small amounts of electric current (remember the humans in the Matrix were used as batteries..) and that current can be controlled into signal pulses. (like the digital 0101011111000001010 blahblahblah..)
The cylon device Six and Five had with them could have been used to amplify their signals so the resurrection ship could receive them.

[Neakal]

The cylon device Six and Five had with them could have been used to amplify their signals so the resurrection ship could receive them.

Those devices were IFF transponders. They were presumably used to locate agents and either home on to them ("Nuke this place" signal) or to avoid shooting them so they can continue their work.

Six might have carried it to help meeting agents without using means that could be traced (phone, colonial version of e-mail etc...) by law. Remember they were actively engaging in espionage. If one of them was caught, using Colonial means for communication could have brought the whole network down even if the Colonials did not realise they are Cylons immidiately.

[genji2000]

:confused: IFF?

[Neakal]

Identification Friend or Foe

[genji2000]

It looked ok in the CIC. Can't imagine why Caprica Six wouldn't have the same thing as an app on her iPhone. Looks a bit clunky.

[Neakal]

*Shrug* I'm more surprised Baltar the "technological expert" thought it was just a PDA-thing till Head-Six pointed it out during the Miniseries. I already wrote my explanation for why she would have it in her bag above. Maybe that was why she had it. Or maybe she was supposed to be somewhere else during the attacks, marking a spot for bombing with the device but she went to Baltar's home instead. Can only guess.

I only know it was not a Ressurection signal Aimplifier. Ressurection Ships act as the amplifiers for the Hub.