# Balthar: Insane or Cylon Chip? (New Galactica Series)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balthar-insane-or-cylon-chip-new-galactica-series/295375>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 20, 2005, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balthar-insane-or-cylon-chip-new-galactica-series/295375 "2005-03-20T01:30:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balthar-insane-or-cylon-chip-new-galactica-series/295375/21 "2005-03-20T18:41:19Z")

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> [@Malodorous](#):
>
> My guess is that it’s a delusion. Balthar seems to be legitimately going insane with his recent delusions of being a messanger of god, and having hallucinations would fit into this.

There are several other possibilities. For example, Balthar may actually turn out to be a messenger of god. 😛

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**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balthar-insane-or-cylon-chip-new-galactica-series/295375/22 "2005-03-20T19:01:02Z")

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> [@Malodorous](#):
>
> In the same episode, Starbuck guesses what the Dr. is working on. If she can figure it out, then presumably most of the higherups also had enough info to do so, including Boomer, so the Cylons might have known it through her.

Well, Starbuck \* is \* the best detective in the fleet, you know.

😛

In all seriousness, I never got the impression that the cylon detector was that compartmented. They discuss it at least tangentially in CIC, which would never happen were it super sensitive eyes-only need-to-know stuff.

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**Author:** ![NoPretentiousCodename](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/82dd89/32.png) [@NoPretentiousCodename](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoPretentiousCodename)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balthar-insane-or-cylon-chip-new-galactica-series/295375/23 "2005-03-20T20:32:42Z")

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Well, a bug can work one of two ways. It either broadcasts or makes recordings. If one broadcasts, it should be detectable. If it makes recordings, somebody would need to maintain the bug, and the cylons would not have information in real time.

Still the possibility is there.

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