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Im currently pondering the idea of a world where pills can be taken to grant temporary pyrokinesis as results of government experimentation. Is this scientifically plausible in the slightest?

I know that it isn't possible in our science or that we know of yet, but is there anyway that it could be the result of science rather than magic? Or would magic pills be the only answer?

I'll provide a bit of context incase it's helpful. The government experimentation was called project firefly because the pills glow like fireflies do, but give the effects of pyrokinesis, nothing to do with the insect so far. I was thinking you take an initial pill that gives you the ability to control fire (but it would "reject" many people, killing them, and it would only work on some people) and then you can take different pills after the pill that establishes the ability to trigger it for short bursts only a few minutes long but extended amount of time with experience. So the pyrokinesis is temporary. I was hoping it could have some kind of grounding in science rather than magic so it can have clear limitations like only controlling fire within a certain radius. Where in magic I feel like the limitations could be broken if the user had enough magic ability, which is not something im going for.

Ideally it would be in the form of a manga or anime so scientific reasoning of superpowers in anime would also be helpful in my crafting of the working behind the pill and limitations.

Any thoughts are appreciated, including comments on my idea in general.

Thanks

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  • $\begingroup$ is this ability like shooting fire through your hand or palm? or somehow create floating fire out of air using your mind? or just control existing fire? $\endgroup$
    – Li Jun
    Sep 9, 2021 at 4:38

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You probably can't give a superpower, but you can give a person the attributes that makes them obtain that power.

What is pyrokinesis? The etymology is Greek consisting of the words: pyr=fire and kinesis=movement. The ability is described as moving fire with ones mind, but nowadays is applied to any kind of fire-based superpower. Obviously that aspect is supernatural and can't be clearly understood by science. I doubt a pill would be capable of giving someone pyrokinesis for that very reason.

However the people who possess pyrokinesis may have some trait in common. Likely a genetic trait or a brain anomaly. In that case scientists can isolate the genetic trait and make a gene therapy to share it to others. The effects of the pill will be permanent if it uses this method. If you decide for it to be a chemical instead (that triggers the same anomalies) the effects may disappear after a few hours. Either way, whichever solution your scientists find.

Think of the superpower as some kind of ether that doesn't affect the world. Whenever a human being has a particular trait the ether binds to him granting him/her pyrokinesis. When a person takes a pill they trick the either into giving them pyrokinesis. If that makes sense.

Lastly manga or anime mediums don't matter. Different stories use different rules regardless of style.

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