THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT SYNTHS FOR THE DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? TRIBUTE
FIRST OF ALL, I should answer the ultimate question for those of you who are still wondering. Just what exactly IS a synth anyway? Well, if you've read the novel, and you've seen the movie, and you've read the source material for this scenario, but you're STILL confused, allow me to explain.
A synth is a genetically engineered human, subjected to extremely rapid forced growth in a laboratory. A synth is not an android--androids are mechanical and electronic. Synths are living, breathing, biological creatures. The synth "manufacturers" assemble raw genetic material in whatever combination they choose, perform an in vitro fertilization, and force-grow the organism to adulthood. The false memories are implanted through what amounts to a compressed, high-strength simsense that burns the memories of an entire lifetime directly into the memory center of the developing synth's brain. In other words, synths are human. The only real difference is that synths come into being through artificial means. There are a few other trivial differences that can be used to distinguish a synth from a naturally-born human, and these are outlined below:
The vagus nerve doesn't automatically cut in for synths the way it does for humans. This means that a synth could actually die--oh, pardon me--"break down"--from holding its breath.
There are minute but measurable differences in the average response time of the spinal ganglia between humans and synths. This is the basis for the Bonelli Test, another method of identifying synths. This test has been made unreliable by the advent of the new, more advanced synths (especially those with bionetic neural enhancements), but some places, mostly lower-tech third world countries, still use it. No one knows how many synths get past this test, or how many humans are killed by mistake.
There are subtle organic differences in the process of erythrocyte (red blood cell) manufacture between humans and synths. One of the enzymes involved in hemoglobin replication is a stereoisomer of the analogous enzyme in humans. Apparently the restructured enzyme speeds up the process, facilitating the rapid forced growth of synths. This difference can only be determined through a bone-marrow test. Because such tests are time consuming and extremely painful to perform on living subjects, this test is usually given to "retired" synths to confirm the results of the Voigt-Kampff or Bonelli Test.
Synths do not experience the same emotional responses as do humans. Because of their necessarily artificial "childhood", they lack the development of the empathic sense that humans have. On top of their deep emotional immaturity, they experience "flattening of effect"--they have no "role-taking" ability and as such can not experience pity or altruism, or share in the joy of another unless it brings them direct benefit as well. Admittedly, certain schizophrenic humans might experience similar lack of empathy, but the majority of these subjects would have been institutionalized. According to Jarman Voigt's original research, his scale can resolve the subtle differences between a schizophrenic human and a synth. The test, after all, doesn't measure the emotional response itself, but rather the involuntary physiological responses associated with it--facial capillary flow (the "blush" response) and ocular muscle contraction (the "flinch" response). Subsequent testing has borne out Voigt's claims, so far as anyone knows. No human has ever been killed as a result of a properly interpreted Voigt-Kampff test. There is, of course, no way to determine if any synths have ever passed the Voigt-Kampff. The test has been used reliably against even those synths with artificial memories, and on every model available on the market--except the new Nexus-6, that is. Yamatetsu claims to have performed the test on the Nexus-6 and found the test reliable, but as yet there is no independent corroboration of this claim.
All synths are genetically engineered to be sterile. This avoids any messy complications involved in synths impregnating humans, or vice versa, or worse--synths impregnating synths.
