Theory:Intuitive aptitude

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The following fan theories are about intuitive aptitude.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
"The Hunger" is not an "ability" that comes prepackaged with intuitive aptitude. Rather, it is a natural condition that often occurs in people who are overwhelmed with responsibility, are pressured by their friends and loved ones, and have a deep-seated fear of failure. It may be simply megalomania, or a relative of megalomania. Several characters on the show have displayed this condition; Sylar merely decided to give it a name.	Sylar lost all of his abilities to the Shanti Virus during Season 2, including intuitive aptitude. However, the Hunger still encouraged him to try to take an ability from Candice Wilmer. He also planned to take abilities from Maya and Alejandro Herrera and possibly from Molly Walker. The Hunger is clearly not dependent on his intuitive aptitude.	- He could have just killed Candice Wilmer because that was the only way he knew how to take powers. + Virginia Gray pressured Sylar to overachieve while Chandra Suresh presented a possibility of failure. The overwhelming responsibility came from his power, which is a far greater duty than most of the other abilities seen on the show. After all, to have intuitive aptitude is to have the power to fix or to break just about anything. + In the Explosion Future, Sylar confessed to Claire that "I don't need any more power, especially not after you." He also shows enough restraint to avoid taking powers from his associates, namely Matt Parkman and the Haitian. This indicates that he has mastered the Hunger, but it should be noted that he only mastered it after he completed the task he was pressured toward by his mother--that he "could even be President". + In the Exposed Future, Sylar has mastered the Hunger by throwing off the responsibility that comes from his power instead of throwing off the pressure from loved ones. He refuses to use his powers and dedicates himself entirely to raising his son. + In Villains (the episode), Sylar's Hunger subsides as Elle begins to make him feel that "Maybe I don't have to be so special". After Elle appears to favor someone more "special" over Sylar, thereby pressuring him to prove himself more "special" than the man in question, the hunger returns. + Peter Petrelli did not absorb the Hunger from Future Gabriel, but simply developed it on his own due to similar circumstances. Like Sylar, he was under pressure from his loved ones and he was deeply afraid of the consequences of failure. + Many other characters are quite unscrupulous about their methods, and would not hesitate to cut open people's heads if they had intuitive aptitude and could learn anything useful from brain study. A lot of the Company Founders seem this way. + Under pressure to protect his country and end the War in Vietnam, Arthur Petrelli killed an innocent girl and forcibly prevented Daniel Linderman from healing her. + Under pressure to keep his family safe, Noah Bennet murdered several members of the Company and contemplated killing Molly Walker. + Under pressure to understand the science of evolved human abilities and with a perceived responsibility to help the world, the various leaders of the Company ordered countless controversial procedures--including human vivisection, synthetic ability implantation, and the development of weaponized viruses. + Because someone with intuitive aptitude can know something, they may feel that they should. "The Hunger" may just be a natural realization rather than a side affect. This fits in with the line "with great power comes great responsibility" which is used frequently in super-hero stories.
Sylar's intuitive aptitude is actually Heroes' version of "super intelligence".	None.	+ Sylar is very intelligent and can find very quick solutions to seemingly difficult problems. - Charlie Andrews and Matt Neuenberg's enhanced memory could be seen as the Heroes version of super intelligence. + Not really, no. It only lets them remember things. They can't figure out how a clock works just by looking at it like Sylar can. + Intelligence is literally the ability to understand. Sylar can do that pretty well...
Sylar's abilities may extend beyond just figuring out systems and objects. His intuitive analysis may extend to figuring out "clues" about people and things - a sort of super-Sherlock Holmes level of observation and intuition.	When Sylar is first imprisoned in his cell and being questioned by Mr. Bennet, he seems to quickly figure out who Claire is - that she is the cheerleader he wanted, that she is Bennet's daughter, etc. (Fallout)	+ Given that he was previously misled as to the cheerleader's identity (Homecoming), it is hard to explain how he suddenly came to these conclusions about Claire, much less her name. If this theory proves true, Sylar figured this out by watching Bennet as they were talking and picking up on intuitive clues, bits of data he did not have before he could "observe" Bennet. He did say that he can figure out what makes people "tick". - An alternative is that Sylar possesses some other telepathic ability similar to Matt Parkman's and was reading Bennet's mind. This seems less likely, however - especially since the Haitian can easily block such abilities. + Sylar's "native" power of intuition may have been much harder to suppress, and he could still use it even while imprisoned. If his powers were slowly coming back to him after being captured, it may make sense that his first ability was also the first to return and be usable. Also, the Haitian's blocking ability seems to work best against powers that require concentration, and Sylar's intuitive aptitude may be something he does unconsciously. - Sylar probably learned about Claire from Chandra and his research. Chandra had a photo of Claire and even contacted Mr. Bennet concerning the possibility of her being an evolved human. + This explains how Sylar was able to understand how to control the abilities of those he stole much faster. Dale, Zane, and Ted all could not fully control their powers, not even Peter. Sylar can understand how things work so perhaps, with just a short about of time, he can understand how to use and control the abilities of those he steals them from quicker than the original owner themselves. + This actually does make sense as Peter seemed to have better control over his powers after activating Intuitive Aptitude. Before, while he had the powers he absorbed from others, he couldn't use most of them as well as the people he absorbed them from with few exceptions such as flight (he was able to fly better than Nathan once Claude taught him how to properly access his powers as he flies with little trouble and can carry people with him which took Nathan a lot longer to get to be able to do), invisibility, regeneration (which doesn't really require any control at all) and super-strength (although that did seem to give him a previously unseen aggression when he used it against Sylar at Kirby Plaza). He's more powerful than Brian Davis at telekinesis but didn't have the sort of control over it that Sylar did and while he had Elle's lightning ability, he also didn't have the sort of control she did although that seems to be just due to lack of practice and refining with it, also while he could teleport easier than Hiro (much less concentration needed as shown when he accidentally teleported to and from the Outbreak Future), he had a lot less control over it at first until he activated Intuitive Aptitude. + Future Peter states that Sylar's ability does this in I Am Become Death.
A person with intuitive aptitude may be a small-scale version of Laplace's Demon.	Laplace's Demon is a hypothetical intellect that would know the precise location and momentum of every atom in the universe. With this knowledge, it would know every event in the universe's past, present, and future.	+ One of the main criticisms of Laplace's Demon is that the intellect would have to be capable of computing the future states of the universe faster than they actually occur. However, this is not a problem with small-scale systems such as a watch or a human brain. + Another criticism of Laplace's Demon is that the slightest uncertainty of a single electron would make its prediction impossible. But this is not a problem for a regular, mechanical system that performs the same functions repeatedly.
Intuitive aptitude is different in nature from other abilities.	Chandra was unable to detect Sylar's ability of intuitive aptitude. (Six Months Ago) A Company scientist was unable to detect in Sylar the "codon switches" for any ability other than telekinesis. (Godsend) Whatever shut down Sylar's abilities after Kirby Plaza has not affected his intuitive aptitude. Sylar clearly still "understood" the inner workings of Candice's brain (Kindred)	• Sylar does not "understand" well enough to use Candice's ability yet, unless her ability didn't allow her to actually see the illusions. - Sylar was unable to get Candice's power.
Intuitive aptitude grants the ability to understand situations and make strategies accordingly.	Sylar seems to know the best thing to do in many situations. This is apparent in The Kindness of Strangers when he kills Derek and when he is able to take Maya and Alejandro across the border into America.	+ Both situations work out in the best for Sylar. + The trademark "tick-tocking" sound is heard as Sylar is seen thinking before he murders Derek. - Sylar was unable to use intuitive aptitude then, due to the Shanti virus.
Intuitive aptitude allows Sylar to subconsciously detect evolved humans. However, he can be distracted or misled by information he learns consciously. Input to his conscious mind overrides the input of his subconscious mind.	None.	+ Sylar mistook Jackie Wilcox for an evolved human only because the newspaper misled him. + Sylar was able to detect Charlie's power but not Hiro's because Charlie was the only one who mentioned her power. This drew Sylar's attention to Charlie and away from Hiro. • If this is true, this would imply that intuitive aptitude requires some degree of deliberate control. - It was stated in the graphic novel that Charlie was the last name he got off of Chandra's list. He watched her waiting to see what her power was, then heard her mention "remembering stuff lately". + In the graphic novel Dreams Until Death, Agents Gael and Bianca confront Sylar after he steals Claire's ability. Gael tells Sylar that he is the evolved human, not Bianca, so Sylar kills Bianca quickly (and remember, he stated himself that he cannot take powers from the dead). This proves that he can be misled as to who has powers.
Intuitive aptitude means that Sylar will automatically understand how a power works when he takes the brain out and examines it, this means that he might still be able to use illusion as he understands how it works.	None.	+ Sylar seems to be able to control his newly acquired powers relatively quickly and easy.
If Sylar were to take Peter Petrelli's power, he would no longer have to remove the brain to learn the power.	None.	+ Peter can copy other abilities without killing others. - Peter needs to think about the person to be able to use their ability, and he needs practice, while Sylar ability helps him fully understand the power and what can be done with it, so Sylar's ability makes it easier to practice every ability, which is Peter's weakness. Though Peter now has Sylar's ability, he wants to receive powers through Sylar's method, possibly due to the hunger to learn. - Sylar wants to be special. So he would get rid of other evolved humans. + He would not have to remove their brains to "get rid of them". He could simply kill them in other ways after learning their power if he still wanted to dispose of them. - As of I Am Become Death we know that Sylar's hunger comes from his addiction to know how things work rather than his addiction to power. This was shown through Peter who suddenly had an innate desperation to see the inner workings of Nathan's thoughts. So if Sylar had Peter's ability then he would still kill to see how things worked. - Arthur stated that Sylar's hunger is not for knowledge, but for power. • Aurthur is not (as far as is known) omniscient. He can be wrong.
If Sylar were to take Peter Petrelli's ability, he would also gain all of the abilities Peter has absorbed.	When he fought Peter in Mohinder's apartment, after Peter turned invisible, Sylar said "Interesting, I can't wait to try that one." (.07%)	+ With Sylar's ability he would understand how Peter's ability worked, and be able to gain access to his absorbed abilities as well. - Sylar could be mistaken about the nature of Peter's ability as he hasn't examined Peter's brain and could simply think he will get all Peter's powers when he kills him. + Future Sylar could understand Knox's ability without having to kill him or analyze his brain so he knows how abilities work and wouldn't be mistaken about Peter's power. + Arthur was able to take all of Peter's abilities.
If Sylar were to encounter another person with this ability, such as Peter Petrelli, he could understand how his own ability works and thus stop his hunger.	Gabriel seems to have suppressed his ability. (I Am Become Death)	• He may not understand his own ability. + Sylar always needed physical access to the brains of other evolved humans to duplicate their powers. It is possible that he needs to do this with his own ability to understand it.
Gabriel's ability of intuitive aptitude was mutated when Gabriel became Sylar; this transformation was what caused the "hunger" to come to life.	None.	+ It is possible that intuitive aptitude never really was a "dark" power; it was Gabriel's obsessive longing to be special that caused him to commit his first murder, and he just went downhill from there. + Peter attempts to cut open his own brother's skull, very much like Sylar. It is possible that some of Sylar's actions and characteristics carried over into Peter when he absorbed the ability. + Peter also attempted to kill his own mother in this way.
Kaito's ability was a variation of intuitive aptitude.	Four Months Later... deleted scene and I Am Become Death.	+ Future Gabriel said that Peter would be able to understand "cause, effect, action, reaction, how to change the future". Kaito said that he takes the variables of a given situation and predicts the outcome. - The scene was deleted, possibly because they didn't want that to be Kaito's power.
Arthur Petrelli has absorbed the "hunger".	None.	+ Arthur took Peter's abilities, intuitive aptitude among them. If the "hunger" is really related to intuitive aptitude, then Arthur will also have it. - In Behind the Eclipse: Week 5, Chuck Kim and Chris Zatta stated that Arthur does not have the hunger. + Arthur may have to access Sylar's ability in order for the "hunger" to become active in him. Arthur has not yet demonstrated use of it. - Meaning he doesn't have the hunger. At least yet.
You get the "hunger" if you have many abilities, including Intuitive aptitude.	None.	+ Sylar and Peter had many abilities and had the "hunger". - The first time Sylar felt the Hunger was when he met Brian Davis. He didn't even have telekinesis at that moment. And Peter felt it first when Future Gabriel taught him how to use intuitive aptitude, - Sylar even apologized for giving him this ability because it's the source of the Hunger.
Intuitive aptitude is a synthetic ability.	None.	+ Intuitive aptitude has a side effect - the Hunger. Mohinder's ability has its flaws as well. - Flight is held both naturally and synthetically and there's no discernible difference between them. • Side effects only happen when an imperfect formula is used. • Sylar could have been injected with an imperfect formula or he could have absorbed this imperfect ability from an unknown source long before he even knew anything of powers - provided he indeed can absorb powers, not take them by studying brains. - Sylar is clearly younger than Nathan, and a perfect formula gave Nathan his ability, no reason for Sylar to have been given an imperfect version of it. • But the formula could - and most definitely has been tested on other subjects before Nathan, Niki and Tracy were injected. So the imperfect intuitive aptitude could have been created - and young Sylar absorbed it (again, if he really can mimic powers like Peter). - Peter was exposed to an ability caused by an imperfect formula, yet he showed no ill effects. + Neither was he able to use Sylar's ability and suffer the Hunger until Sylar taught him. - So far, every use of the imperfect formula have been shown to cause physical mutations of some sort.
When someone uses intuitive aptitude to absorb a person's abilities, they also occasionally absorb aspects of their personality.	None.	+ Sylar absorbed an ability from Brian Davis, a depressed man. Sylar became suicidal shortly thereafter. - Brian was merely scared of his ability. Sylar attempted to kill himself because he was depressed with guilt. Later he used telekinesis in Chandra's presence with notable pleasure. + Sylar absorbed an ability from Zane Taylor, an eccentric man. Sylar developed several nervous habits and mannerisms shortly thereafter. + Sylar absorbed an ability from Isaac Mendez, a man devoted to saving New York City through introspection. Sylar became worried about New York citizens and introspective shortly thereafter. + Sylar absorbed an ability from Elle Bishop, a girl desperate to please her father-figure. Sylar became desperate to please Arthur Petrelli shortly thereafter. + Sylar absorbed an ability from Sue Landers, an office worker with paranoia resulting from her ability. Sylar became distrustful of everyone around him shortly thereafter. - Sylar didn't display aspects of personalities of Ted Sprague (total despair), Bob Bishop (manipulating others), Jesse Murphy (bloodlust) or Claire Bennet (innocence). + Sylar tried to reform after taking Claire's power. - Sylar attempted to redeem only for his "mother". Before that he showed no remorse of killing Bob and attacking Noah and Elle. + You could stay he was still lusting for power after Jesse's murder. - Sylar's hunger remained, but he suppressed it until killing Sue Landers. And the bloodlust was unleashed when he chose to kill Elle. But there's nothing from Jesse - Sylar displayed these traits all along. + Ted had trouble controlling his anger; shortly after taking Ted's power, Sylar was unusually agressive in attacking Ando, and later Peter, Noah, and Matt. Also, Sylar tried to manipulate Claire into killing Angela and Noah into killing Meredith. - Sylar is always aggressive, if he's not aggressive then he's manipulative, anyway he's dangerous.
The "hunger" simply refers to the desire for answers and knowledge to satisfy the ability. It drives one to perceive and seek to reverse engineer any technical marvel. The brain, being a machine more amazing than any watch or manmade creation captures the fascination of someone with intuitive aptitude to the extent that he/she can no longer see it as anything other than a machine. The bearer is drawn to it's allure and seeks to analyze and decipher its inner workings.	"...You're broken..." - Sylar, to Brian Davis before killing him and analyzing his brain. Sylar talks about nothing but how amazing brains are to Claire while analyzing hers.	+ Sylar rips open Elle's head when he already has her power, so clearly it's not just about acquiring a power. - He didn't remove the top of her head, he simply killed her. + He still killed her without there being a real need for it. - Sylar seems only interested in the brains of those with abilities. • He may also strongly desire powers on his own (without the hunger), and he would rather work on finding a new victim with an ability than kill random people. + Brains of evolved humans may be more fascinating, making ordinary brains lame by comparison. - Arthur said that all Sylar wants is power, not knowledge (Eris Quod Sum). - In Dying of the Light, Peter said to Sylar: "I understand why you are doing this now. All this power - it feels good".
By taking powers Sylar improves the original evolved human's power.	Claire Bennet's power improves after Sylar takes it, she gains the ability to no longer feel pain.	- This hasn't happened to anyone other than Claire. + Claire was the only person able to survive the process, if the other characters could have survived perhaps they would have also experienced increased abilities. + It's all in the name, Sylar automatically knows how to fix things, or even improve them. • Perhaps Sylar doesn't take abilities but replaces them with more advanced versions, sort of like an ability tune up, i.e. he replaces Claire's regeneration with a more advanced version (not being able to feel pain) and takes her old, painful regeneration for himself. • This may explain the frozen body of James Walker, although we are told Sylar tests his freezing ability on the body it would be interesting to think of the frozen corpse as the upgrade to James Walker's ability (his body turning to ice in a similar fashion to Iceman). - Claire's ability just adapted to a trauma, in a way it made her unable to feel pain. - Pain is the body's way to tell the body that something is harmful to it, with her ability, most things aren't harmful to her, so she doesn't feel pain, it started as recovering quick from pain and it went all the way to not feeling pain at all.