r/BSG • u/WarpNacelle6295 • 4d ago

Baltar’s Profession

What did Dr. Baltar do before the Cylon Attack? He clearly has a doctorate, but not in a specific field that I remember. One episode, he’s an expert on technology (which is supposedly why he worked for the Defense Department). The next he’s doing experimental medicine.

Seems like he falls into an old-fashioned “scientist man” trope where he’s knowledgeable in all fields necessary to the plot.

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u/ZippyDan 3d ago edited 3d ago

Baltar was a multi-domain genius, and the BSG Series Bible discusses his academic career before the show in brief. He was completing multiple college degrees as a teenager.

A doctorate in just two broad fields - e.g. artificial intelligence and bio-engineering - would reasonably cover most of his skills in the show, including computer science, Cylon detectors, and medicine.

He likely held two or three doctorates and even more bachelor-level degrees.

I discuss all of this and more in this comment.