Modified Ernst test

The modified Ernst test is an examination designed to ascertain whether an individual is a transhuman. It measures various bodily functions and responses, comparing the results and providing a detailed report once the test is complete.

The test is derived from the works of Karl Ernst, a bioengineer who contributed to the Union's supersoldier program during the Occupation.

History
To detect infiltrators, the first Harvesters used the original Ernst test, which was devised as a means of testing the emotional deviance of transhuman soldiers.

The modified Ernst test was created by the Department of Human Preservation, complete with a new set of criteria and an automated system for performing the test.

Method
Transhumans generally lack the emotional depth of human beings. In earlier generations, this is due to invasive brainwashing techniques, which were often comparable to lobotomy. Later generations do not suffer from these techniques, but lack the emotional development and memories that contribute to an individual's personality and empathetic profile. When exposed to certain moral topics, most transhumans do not display involuntary responses expected from human beings. The Ernst test exploits this.

The primary method in the Ernst test is to provoke empathetic responses through a questionnaire. The questionnaire contains upwards of 100 hypothetical questions that are meant to invoke moral or spiritual dilemmas. In addition to the verbal response, the subject is also screened for involuntary reactions such as dilation of the pupils or flushing of the cheeks in the so-called "blush response".

In addition to the questionnaire, various other instruments are used to test the subject. Eye movements and reflexes are tracked via high-speed camera and compared against a threshold. The chemical makeup of the subject's skin membranes is sometimes scanned via laser.