Life Sciences of the Twelve Colonies (TOS)

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Life Sciences describes both the biological and psychological medical practices of the Twelve Colonies of Man.

Biological[edit]

  • balcon infusion
A treatment applied to Starbuck by the Beings of Light upon transport to their dimension. He responds well to the treatment (TOS: "War of the Gods, Part II").
Starbuck: "Well, it's my bio-pulse line, sir. You see, it's a bad time for me to be cooped up in a cockpit." (TOS: "Saga of a Star World").
"Bio-pulse" is a likely reference to a 1970's Scientology fad that attempts to track behaviors and motivations based on pseudo-biological cycles known as biorhythms.
Some sort of head or brain scan (TOS: "War of the Gods, Part I").
A device capable using cryogenic suspension to preserve or prolong a patient's life, until effective treatment can be applied (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I").
A device used by advance scouts after returning from a recon mission to detect and remove contaminants, presumably removing viruses and bacteria to which Colonials have no natural immunity (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I").
Some sort of rejuvenating treatment, available in the life science station (TOS: "War of the Gods, Part I").
The technical name given a laser scalpel, used in Adama's surgery (TOS: "Fire in Space").
  • hypernutrients
A treatment available in the life science station, offered to Iblis (and refused) to help speed his recuperation (TOS: "War of the Gods, Part I").
Doctor Salik: "increase [the critical patient's] Islodin intravenous feed six units per centon." (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I").
A type of medicine.
  • laser scalpel
Doctor Salik: "I don't think you want me poking around your father's heart with a laser scalpel at a time like that." (TOS: "Fire in Space").
See finite microlaser.
  • life pod
Doctor Salik: "If we just let him lie in that life pod he doesn't have a chance in a centura." (TOS: "Fire in Space")
The life science center is the medical care facility on board a Colonial battlestar (TOS: "Saga of a Star World").
  • respiratory probe
Some sort of lung or lung function probe. Apollo admonishes Dr. Salik to get a portable respiratory probe to be used on Iblis (TOS: "War of the Gods, Part I").
  • restons
A measure of well-being used by the Beings of Light. Starbuck's restons respond well to the balcon infusion, allowing him to stand and move about (TOS: "War of the Gods, Part II").
  • ultrasonic scrub
The colonial method of "scrubbing in" prior to surgery (TOS: "Fire in Space").

Psychological[edit]

  • catharsis treatment
Adama: "If anyone amongst us can say that he's all right, after what has happened, I recommend them for catharsis treatment." (TOS: "Saga of a Star World")
Adama is likely referring to some sort of psychotherapy, a process where the subject is allowed to express deep emotions regarding an event in his or her life that had not been able to be properly expressed.
Catharsis is a Greek term meaning "purging" or "cleansing."
A special scan to aid a human in recalling lost or repressed memories (TOS: "War of the Gods, Part I").

See also[edit]