Peter's mimicking ability. Feasible?

[ragdus]

Peter clearly has the ability to mimic powers. Sylar seems to also, although how each does it could be, and most likely is, quite different. Based on that, I pose a few questions I'd like to see discussed:

1) If the powers are based in the brain, and potentially (and more specifically) in differing ways the brains are "wired", how could Peter possibly mimic those powers?

2) Wouldn't his brain have to reconfigure on the fly?

3) How would it know what the proper configuration is without careful examination (which is how Sylar seems to be figuring it out)?

 

[LadyVader]

Well it has been theorized that Peter is also an empath. Maybe Sylar manages to mimic power through observation and reason, while Peter's powers are somehow linked to emotions. You take the high road, I'll take the low road.

 

[ragdus]

Um, that doesn't really address what I'm asking.

 

[nexgenpresident]

well i dont know how he does it /,,but something chandra said last episode about the brain controls everything actions, emotions, and all that but he also said if the soul were to exsist it would be in the brain maybe peters mimic power has to with that part of the brain...lol..///no im not calling peter a soul snatcher and ,yes i do have a life other than watching heroes...lol

 

[gambitfire]

3) How would it know what the proper configuration is without careful examination (which is how Sylar seems to be figuring it out)?

That's like logically trying to figure out how Rogue can absorb memories with meer touch.

I think your overcomplicating it. It's just the way his powers work as opposed to Syalr period.

 

[3 Dev Adam]

Yes, it's as feasible as actually flying.

 

[ragdus]

But the point is that the writers set it up for deconstructing by specifying where the root of the powers lie. Ultimately, I don't care and it doesn't change my opinion of the show. But if you're going to say the power lies in the brain, and Peter can "borrow" powers or whatever, you kind of have an area there that makes you scratch your head.

 

[faceplant]

let's all take a deep breath and suspend our disbelief, after all, it is a tv show.

 

[3 Dev Adam]

let's all take a deep breath and suspend our disbelief, after all, it is a tv show.

I agree. I still have to figure out how the heck they shrunk all those ppl to fit on my TV set.

 

[faceplant]

I agree. I still have to figure out how the heck they shrunk all those ppl to fit on my TV set.

yeah, how do they do that? Is it some sort of government conspiracy to get in out homes and watch us do immoral things?

 

[nexgenpresident]

yeah i sometimes wonder if im watching t.v. or is the t.v. watching me?????

 

[ragdus]

You know, I opened a thread to just try and discuss the possibilites given what we know. We don't have to suspend disbelief in every thread. I'm not even asking for that. I'm asking how people think this can work with the info we have.

If you don't want have a discussion on how those things can be explained, plausible or not, then don't reply. Some of us just enjoy putting a little thought into the things we enjoy.

 

[LadyVader]

To know how Peter is mimicking the abilities we would have to know exactly how they work, wich we don't.
I for one think that since the brain operates with electrical impulses, maybe Peter has some sort of electromagnetic field around him that picks up those electric impulses and somehow his brain is able to mimick them, and the brain is essentially telling the body what to do, unlocking it's potential. That happens to all the powers but in Peter's case, his brain is hearing what other brains are saying and going at it karaoke.

 

[3 Dev Adam]

Karaoke? Wow! That's a great explanation! Kinda like Sam Neill explaining how to bend time and space in EVENT HORIZON! Congrats, Lady Vader. You owned us ass.

 

[LadyVader]

How about you reign in that cutting edge sarcasm pal. I said it's just my opinion and I'm not expecting it to mean anything at all.

 

[3 Dev Adam]

That wasn't sarcasm.

 

[LadyVader]

Tomfoolery, jocularity. Whatever you wanna call it.

 

[Tyrinus]

Everyone releases pheremones that we can detect on an unconcious level. Perhaps each of these people releases a pheremone distinct to their ability and Peter picks up on it and his body mimics it.

 

[3 Dev Adam]

I have a theory they're Midichlorians...

 

[Child-of-Light]

i agree tyrinus

 

[primemover]

I don't really buy the whole 'it's in the brain' thing, unless these 'supers' powers are all based on shapechanging and illusion and their brain is controlling everything. Chandra and Mohinder go on and on about genetic and evolution so I would hope he'd keep it to that, and if it's something encoded in the genes then every cell in these 'supers' bodies would have that information.

It seems like Peter and Sylar are both empathic in the sense they can understand something so well as to even become that, even if it's temporary, how they do that still is up for grabs. I would imagine combined with their ability to 'understand' things they also have the innate ability to recode their genetics on the fly, almost like shape shifting but at a more fundemental level.

Now the difference between Peter and Sylars power is in the speed they get them, and their longevity. Peter gets the powers immediately, but loses them after a bit, whereas Sylar takes a while to get them, but once that happens he has them forever.

Peter seems like a good read of people right off the bat, his empathy is almost immediately, and that benifits his job with taking care of the infirm. Sylar on the other hand needs to study something to fully understand it, things that are easy, like watches, come fast, but people take a while, that seems to me why he takes the brains.

Though Peter is a bit of a stretch, I can see Sylar being like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, as during that transformation the caterpillars matter is turned into a soup that re-congeals into a butterfly. Sylar goes through a metamorphosis after studying the stolen brain, entering a cacoon emerging with his new powers, a rebirth.

 

[Marc]

Peter clearly has the ability to mimic powers. Sylar seems to also, although how each does it could be, and most likely is, quite different. Based on that, I pose a few questions I'd like to see discussed:

1) If the powers are based in the brain, and potentially (and more specifically) in differing ways the brains are "wired", how could Peter possibly mimic those powers?

2) Wouldn't his brain have to reconfigure on the fly?

3) How would it know what the proper configuration is without careful examination (which is how Sylar seems to be figuring it out)?

Based on the fact Kring the creator (would sound cooler if it was Kring the Merciless) pretty much made Heroes in a week or so, I doubt he has actually thought it all out. Nor would he have time at this point to come up with some kind of grounded reasoning.

If I were to make up some BS about how it works, I would say its a case of genetics evolving to the point where the brain has a new point of interaction. In that it no longer can just interpret heat, sound, touch, light etc.. It can now interact to a degree with quantum mechanics. Part of their brain can manipulate things at a quantum level subconsciously. And if you can do that, you can slow the motion of atoms (freezing), move atoms (telekenesis/flight), teleport and so on. Sylar's ability for example would be to dissect and understand the relationship and interaction, then adapt his own interaction accordingly. The link is already there in effect for all of them but manifests differently, Sylar examines and adapts his own permanently by making a copy of others interactions and adding it to his own. And maybe the more he learns the closer he becomes to having full control and understanding, enabling him to do pretty much whatever he wanted. While Peter's interaction is more like a reciever and picks up whatever is thrown his way.

So it wouldn't be reconfiguring exactly, because he already has the power to do whatever he wants but no conscious control over it. More like if he knew how to throw a ball but doesn't have a ball to throw, and others coming along with their own ball showing him different ways of throwing it. Pete gets others to throw the ball for him in their style, Sylar examines and interpolates how to control the ball in their style and add's it to his locker.

Otherwise... its invisible wizard ninja's from Mars.

 

[Avalanche]

My answer to the question Peter's mimicking ability - feasible?

Nathan's flying ability, feasible?
Claire's rapid healing ability, feasible?
Isaac's paint the future ability, feasible?

It's all pretend. It doesn't need to be feasible.

 

[ragdus]

Thanks for your insight Avalanche. The question was of its feasibility within this fake world they've set up. But I shouldn't expect you to actually read before replying...

 

[Avalanche]

Well, my point is, in this make believe world, there's any number of explanations that could be thrown forward as an explanation. I don't understand why you're singling out Peter, when the ability to fly is equally as far fetched based on human genetics.