Star Trek: Deep Space Nine/WMG: Difference between revisions
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== The Wormhole Aliens Sisko met in the the Pilot weren't the ones who opened up the wormhole ==
Their relationship is a lot like [[Doctor Who|te Doctor and River Song]]. When Sisko met them in the pilot, they didn't know who he was or what linear time was. They didn't even seem to know about Bajor. After Sisko left, they sent the orbs to Bajor, ensures Sisko was born, and created the wormhole in the first place. Thus creating a [[Stable Time Loop]].
== A changeling in human form has two brains, and both are conscious. ==
In S03E26, Odo points out that if he's scanned while in the shape of a rock then the scan will show he is a rock. Even so, we see time and again that he retains his memories and the ability to think while he's shaped as an inanimate object. Therefore, however his his brain works, it is independent of his shape.
In the same episode, it becomes clear that some changelings can duplicate human anatomy so perfectly that no scanner can tell the difference. Star Trek scanners can measure neural activity in detail, so those changelings must have working human brains, including something that looks like thought.
If a changeling uses its (simulated) human brain to do its thinking, it will risk limiting its cognitive ability - what if the human it's impersonating is less intelligent than the changeling? It will also risk its thoughts being spied on by nearby telepaths, or even Federation technology. It's much safer to duplicate the person's brain perfectly and let it carry on thinking ''as if it was the person being impersonated''. Hence the changeling isn't so much acting as running a full simulation of some human, and the human persona ideally won't even know. This makes the behaviour much more realistic. It also comes with some fridge logic:
=== Changelings do Pratchett-style Borrowing ===
If the (duplicated) human brain finds it's not in control of its body, it will panic, producing firing patterns that can be recognised as odd. So the changeling has to subtly manipulate the brain into doing what the changeling wants, by altering its perceptions or adding subtle suggestions to its thought processes. Pretty much what [[Terry Pratchett]]'s witches do to the minds of animals they Borrow.
=== Changelings are sometimes mistaken for possessed humans ===
If a disguised changeling needs to do something it can't persuade the human brain to do, it will do it anyway - it's still the changeling's body, and it has no regard for the feelings of the brain as long as it doesn't give the game away. The brain experiences this as either a loss of control or a loss of consciousness. In extreme cases, the brain will notice parts of "its" body changing shape and acting independently.
If the changeling allows the brain to control the body again to preserve its cover, the human brain will remember these episodes and mention them to other humans. If they aren't aware of the presence or abilities of changelings, they will assume the person is either hallucinating or possessed by another intelligence.
=== Changelings visited medieval Earth ===
They impersonated humans and let the simulated brains do their thing most of the time. That gave rise to numerous legends about demons possessing people, making the do evil things, twisting their limbs and giving them superhuman powers.
And while I'm at it,
=== Human wizards are aware of changelings, and don't trust them ===
Per [[Harry Potter/Characters/Order of the Phoenix Members|Arthur Weasley]], ''Never trust something that can think for itself, if you can't see where it keeps its brain.''
{{reflist}}
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