DS9's Odo and Other Shape Shifters

[Lren Zvsm]

Is there a plausible way for shapeshifters like Odo from Star Trek Deep Space Nine to exist? Obviously, our shapeshifter couldn't recode its own DNA and change its phenotype in moments. But what if Odo were a swarm--or metaswarm--of microbots ? How could they be coordinated? Would they be in constant radio contact, and if so, could our shapeshifter be incapacitated or even killed with an EMP? How many different types of microbots would our shapeshifter require? Or does his ability depend, at least to some degree, on whether the microbots were all alike? How would this swarm, or meta-swarm, get the energy it needs to live?

 

[Bab5space]

Is there a plausible way for shapeshifters like Odo from Star Trek Deep Space Nine to exist? Obviously, our shapeshifter couldn't recode its own DNA and change its phenotype in moments. But what if Odo were a swarm--or metaswarm--of microbots ? How could they be coordinated? Would they be in constant radio contact, and if so, could our shapeshifter be incapacitated or even killed with an EMP? How many different types of microbots would our shapeshifter require? Or does his ability depend, at least to some degree, on whether the microbots were all alike? How would this swarm, or meta-swarm, get the energy it needs to live?

Just about anything is possible in physics... but a price must ALWAYS be paid. Nothing comes free.Ferromagnetic fluids is one way, although that is different than any lifeform I know of.

 

[BillTre]

There are some shape-shifter literary examples you might want to consider:

1. The nano machines in Michael Crichton's book Prey, could coordinate in some distributed networky way. They got loose, and evolved into a nasty predatory version and a mellower version that just infects people and takes over their bodies. Bacteria were used in some way to produce the nanobots, but I don't recall the details. Both phages (against the bacteria) and strong magnets were used to deal with the nanobot swarms.
2. The Face Dancers in the Dune Literary Universe (DLU) are eventually, designed biological entities. They have a complex history. Basically they were created by the DLU's genetic master minds, the Bene Tleilax. The history of development of the Face Dancers in the DLU is summarized here.

As I recall, Odo's changes were pretty quick. This seems like it might be possible with nano-machine independent particles, but could present problems in real biological tissue, like the Face Dancers. Bone, for example, can dissolve and reform on a cellular scale (which could end up changing shape), but not very rapidly.

 

[Rive]

But what if Odo were a swarm--or metaswarm--of microbots ?

Odo is described as biology as I recall. Maybe you could use the Replicators from Stargate for reference instead.