Probably not, or else the blood test wouldn't work. Thoughts?
Can a Changeling split in two?
- Thread starter JoeFromEarth
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^ No, we see that when the majority of a changeling seperates itself from the minority of its mass then the minority loses solidity.
I'd imagine that the changeling can choose which part of its essence its "consciousness" resides in, but it can't reside in multiple parts which are seperate from its whole.
I'd imagine that the changeling can choose which part of its essence its "consciousness" resides in, but it can't reside in multiple parts which are seperate from its whole.
I can almost guarantee the blood test doesn't work, or rather it only works when they don't care whether it works or not. 1)Didn't work with changeling Martok; 2)if the blood test did work, surely some smart guy would've realized that it's even easier to check and see if everyone's leaving a broad trail of bodily filth like they're supposed to. Seriously, if they lose cohesion over their blood, why not their broken hairs or sloughed skin cells? Or their crap?
"Where are your skin mites, Dr. Bashir?" They must replicate the million squirming little insects that burrow in us, otherwise it would be trivially easy to detect them.
So, to answer the OP, I have little doubt they could split into two separate humaniform creatures, since they have to split into trillions of tiny creatures in order to actually achieve their disguise, and the most difficult part would only be forming two brains, and if you can form one, why not two? Changelings can form two arms, lungs, and kidneys.
The real question, then, is where a Changeling's consciousness resides, because it evidently isn't in their meat puppets. I mean, there's no brain in a plume of fire. Which opens up weird areas of speculation: are their Solid forms philosophical zombies? To be indistinguishable from a human, they'd have to have human information processing gear, which--as we well know--gives rise to consciousness, and either free will or an illusion of free will, but at least some agency. Where are those nerve impulses controlling Changeling Bashir's arms and legs coming from? Not his brain, because the Changeling consciousness is in control.
It's really weird.
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I assume their consciousness is a gestalt interaction from all of their individual cells. The way the great link seems to operate supports this theory.
It seems there'd have to be some sort of "critical mass" at which they could split and form two separate, surviving individuals, though. That would explain the presence of Changeling infants.
The question of Changeling individuality remains a bit muddled. Is the Link one individual, or many? Is Odo an individual or just a splinter of the single Changeling being? Is it common for Changeling "individuals" (that is, independently moving masses, such as those imitating humanoids) to only have one consciousness in them, or do the seeming individual consciousnesses actually represent a changing mix of elements from the greater whole?
We never quite learn the true nature of the infants, either. Odo is the one to coin the expression "infant", in "The Search pt II" - and he then gets told that the Link is his family, apparently in the procreative sense about which Odo was inquiring. The original expression that Odo replaces with "infant" was "newly formed", which may indicate creation out of elements lesser than a live Changeling (like humans come from sperm and ova), but also creation out of preexisting Changelings through mixing, matching, chopping, whatever.
On the issue of fooling UFP and Klingon tests, I'd think much of this is accomplished through trickery rather than perfect mimicry. A Changeling can perfectly imitate a rock, after all - but if he did become a perfect rock, he wouldn't be a Changeling any more, and would stay a rock for all eternity. The same with the humanoid form. Somehow, the shapeshifting fools tricorders, or MRI scanners, or noses, without necessarily requiring the constant shedding of those dirty things that allow sensors and senses to form a picture of a normal humanoid being. The major lines may be drawn by actual structural change down to deep molecular level, but some of the lesser details are probably conjured out of sight.
...This is no doubt much assisted by Changelings typically replacing people in positions of power, people with sufficient influence to sabotage the surveillance directed at them.
Timo Saloniemi
We never quite learn the true nature of the infants, either. Odo is the one to coin the expression "infant", in "The Search pt II" - and he then gets told that the Link is his family, apparently in the procreative sense about which Odo was inquiring. The original expression that Odo replaces with "infant" was "newly formed", which may indicate creation out of elements lesser than a live Changeling (like humans come from sperm and ova), but also creation out of preexisting Changelings through mixing, matching, chopping, whatever.
On the issue of fooling UFP and Klingon tests, I'd think much of this is accomplished through trickery rather than perfect mimicry. A Changeling can perfectly imitate a rock, after all - but if he did become a perfect rock, he wouldn't be a Changeling any more, and would stay a rock for all eternity. The same with the humanoid form. Somehow, the shapeshifting fools tricorders, or MRI scanners, or noses, without necessarily requiring the constant shedding of those dirty things that allow sensors and senses to form a picture of a normal humanoid being. The major lines may be drawn by actual structural change down to deep molecular level, but some of the lesser details are probably conjured out of sight.
...This is no doubt much assisted by Changelings typically replacing people in positions of power, people with sufficient influence to sabotage the surveillance directed at them.
Timo Saloniemi
