So are synths androids or cyborgs

[[]]

i know the first 2 gens are mainly robots but what about the gen 3 where they are put together from bones to meat n flesh

[Aachen]

Replicants!

[Out Of Bubblegum]

Being assembled from human flesh made from human DNA makes them a clone in my book. Sometimes the DNA is "synthetic". How close to true human DNA is unknown. That makes them a clone of ?something?. There is this one non-flesh "synth component" inside them. It scraps to one plastic. There is no explanation for what it is.
This subject has been discussed to death. There is an active thread ongoing right now.

[JDaremo Fireheart]

Depends.
Gen 1 & 2 are androids of a sort, while Gen 3 are Human or Clone with a mind controlling chip in their heads.
Kellogg is a Cyborg. A Human with with Cybernetic Implants.
Yes, Aachen, they can be called Replicants except they don't self replicate.

Edit: Not really a Clone either since the definition of a Clone is an exact copy. Each Gen 3 looks different but they are made from the same base DNA Structure.

[MadMek]

They aren't really either, but they more closely match the definition of cyborgs, being primarily organic with a mechanical component.

[Guilion]

They're technically still robots.

Fallout 3 talks about this in a quest; they have synthetic skin, bones, blood... Plus they can be reprogrammed, formatted or ordered around like your regular Mr Handy.

[Sabaithal]

They are assembled using human organic DNA as a base, but every synth we've encountered has cybernetic compontents integrated in, visible or not. I'm not sure what to call this, but "artificial human" with cybernetic augments seems to fit. Perhaps "synthesized human" would be a better fit.

[Longhaul]

Originally posted by Aachen:

Replicants!

Series T-800 / T-850 model 101..

[Aachen]

Originally posted by Daynox:

Series T-800 / T-850 model 101..

Well, I was thinking more Nexus-8 or Nexus-9, but I see how apt those Series may be.

[MadMek]

Since the organic components of a T-800 are purely a facade over the mechanical parts, which it can function perfectly well without, I don't think that's a very accurate comparison.

[XC3758]

Originally posted by Daynox:

Originally posted by Aachen:

Replicants!

Series T-800 / T-850 model 101..

"a cybernetic organism: living tissue over a metal endoskeleton"

[Sabaithal]

Originally posted by MadMek:

Since the organic components of a T-800 are purely a facade over the mechanical parts, which it can function perfectly well without, I don't think that's a very accurate comparison.

Yeah, a machine that has FAKE organic skin, that can function fine without said skin is not a cyborg. At least not to me it isn't. A cyborg implies that both organic and machine components must be intact and functional for the being to function properly.

Also while the skin may appear to be organic, I'm not entirely certain it is. It lacks certain components present within human cells.

[Flippy]

This is why the SRB is a thing and the Institute/aliens know that synths being so close to humans will take the side of humans as a matter of course.

When they try and escape and have their mind wiped it is because they cannot live with what they have done. Many settlements wiped out, the capture and use of FEV and other things on humans etc.

So to the topic, while they may not be human they are extremely close. Star Wars and the clone troopers went into this a very little bit as well as other titles. Fallout 4 is an excellent story that goes into this as well.

[MadMek]

I think the skin is organic, people commented that it smelled like something died when the T-800 had massive injuries to it's skin, so it obviously decomposes and smells similar to rotting meat. However, they are most likely not regular human cells, which could not survive without the system of organs that the mechanical endoskeleton exists in place of. More likely the skin is some kind of genetically modified organism that is more self-sufficient than human skin and muscles, is able to subsist on nutrients supplied by the endoskeleton, and is similar enough to human tissue to pass casual inspection, though apparently not by dogs.

[Bloodartist]

I'd think there used to be a name in scifi for human body with a CPU controlling it (no brain). I mean its the opposite of cyborg (machine body, human brain). But I guess its not common enough to have found a common denominator. I think star control 1 used to call them "psytrons", a cyberpunk tabletop RPG Im playing atm calls them "synths" (imagine that).. In Battle Angel Alita manga the Tiphareans are these, they are born humans who have their brain replaced by a chip to make them more compliant...

[Longhaul]

Originally posted by XC3758:

Originally posted by Daynox:

Series T-800 / T-850 model 101..

"a cybernetic organism: living tissue over a metal endoskeleton"

Damn... now i want to watch Terminator.