# Your secret Super Power under the Radar **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 12, 2013, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151 "2013-12-12T10:11:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/21 "2013-12-12T17:27:27Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Time travel. Go back to the spring of 1978, go to Churchill Downs and put every nickel I can scrape together to bet on Affirmed/Alydar to finish 1-2. Cash out the winnings, go to Pimlico in two weeks and put everything I won on another 1-2 finish for those two. Cash out those winnings, go to Belmont in three weeks and put it all on a repeat 1-2 performance. Cash it out and hop back in my time machine. > [@Morbo](#): > > So….mine: Computer skills and Time Travel. Fake enough awareness of a software ability to get hired with a company that you know will blow up. Tow the line until they, in fact, blow up, then cash out at the exact time, which you will know in advance, to maximize your profit. As something of an expert in these matters (check the username), you folks are about to get a painful reminder of how little input the Butterfly Effect needs to completely mess up your dreams. > [@Kobal2](#): > > I’d go with a time travel variant : the ability to rewind, fast forward or loop my own life. > [cut for brevity] > From the outside, I hardly see how anyone could guess I’m Groundhog Daying the hell out of everything. This, on the other hand, gives you the old “try, try again” necessary to win! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/22 "2013-12-12T17:30:07Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > What would your Super Power be if under no circumstances could anyone find out? Allow me to elaborate: Let’s say you can manipulate the stock market - great, but the SEC will catch you. How about invisibility? Certainly your time stamps compared to security cameras will flesh you out. I’m not following the defeatism, here. Why are time stamps and security cameras going to flesh you out if you’re invisible? If you work weekdays, commit your invisible crimes on the weekends; _I was at home all day watching the **Twilight Zone** marathon,_ you’d say, if the authorities ask, which they won’t, because, really, why would they? And then your hours just get a lot more flexible once you stop needing a day job. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/23 "2013-12-12T17:33:06Z")
To see a short while into the future, like up to an hour or so. Useful for gambling, avoiding disasters (or minor inconveniences), spoiling movies… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/24 "2013-12-12T18:16:32Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > What would your Super Power be if under no circumstances could anyone find out? > [@](#): > > Your power must benefit you greatly and never ever cause anyone to take notice. Can I split the difference on that? If I get, say, intangibility, I could bill myself as the world’s greatest stage magician: lock me in anything, I’m the best escape artist this side of Harry Houdini; put my lovely assistant in a box, I’ll pass a sword right through her; have local bricklayers build a wall Stage Left while I’m doing all that other stuff Stage Right, the show ends with me walking through it; everyone takes notice, but nobody can tell it’s for real. (Heck, any competent backstage crew can levitate a woman; that’s _ **why** _ a performer has to pass solid hoops around her to sell the no-strings effect; I’m just a guy who can intangibly wave intangible hoops around her – real showy-like, as if I were doing some kind of trick – shortly after you examine 'em and pronounce 'em solid.) ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/25 "2013-12-12T18:25:06Z")
> [@Osiris\_the\_1st](#): > > Of course you have the problem of maybe accidentally causing the spontaneous generation of a sperm whale and pot of petunias in the upper stratosphere. Oh no, not again! ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/26 "2013-12-12T18:38:32Z")
I’d like healing power. Just enough to keep someone alive to get ti the ER, say, that otherwise would have died on the way. Healing comepletely would get detected. Just enough power could help keep someone going until EMT’s arrived, while you did CPR on a victim. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/27 "2013-12-12T18:52:53Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Any idea what the payout would be on an initial $100 bet? I can’t find all the numbers. Maybe **BobLibDem** can come up with better news, but the Preakness payout on a 6-3 exacta ($2) was a princely $4. The opening line at Churchill Downs was Alydar 6-5, and Affirmed 9-5, so the exacta for that might have been a little higher. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/28 "2013-12-12T21:08:44Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > I’m about to catch my flight to NZ, so apologies if I don’t respond for a while, but for now I am bored as hell with free WiFi (Respect PDX) so…to the OP: > > What would your Super Power be if under no circumstances could anyone find out? Allow me to elaborate: Let’s say you can manipulate the stock market - great, but the SEC will catch you. The SEC needn’t be a problem so long as you use the power gradually, discreetly, and intelligently. If you can magically cause any given company’s price rise or fall, you want to win _most_ of the time but not _all or even almost all_ of the time–and of course you should also avoid any connection with officers or board members of the companies you’re profiting from. It’ll take you a while to get _rich_ rich, but you won’t seem to be doing anything illegal or unfair. And of course don’t tout your ability as anything other than mathematical analysis and your gut. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/29 "2013-12-12T22:18:28Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > The ability to read people’s minds, at any distance, merely by desiring to do so. . . . > > Just don’t get stupid with it and it won’t be obvious. Even better, you’ll know when people are just starting to get suspicious of you, so you can back off! You’d know exactly how far to push it when, say, playing poker. It’d be a little like combining invisibility with “detection sensing.” It’d help you not give the game away. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/30 "2013-12-12T22:32:25Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > The ability to control other people’s thoughts. You don’t get a teller to steal money and give it to you, you convince people who already have their own money to invest it in your…whatever. Your project, your book, your movie, whatever. That’s why I though as a kid: if the Planeteers were evil, “Heart” would be the best power, keep your stupid “Wind.” “If you really cared for me, you’d give me those Twizzlers for free.” Sort of like **Kobal2** ’s suggestion, I’d go for video game style save/load, preferably allowed if I die or “game over,” and with infinite/a lot of saves. Seeing to the future or being able to rewind X minutes would also be useful, like _Next_, but not if you got into an Ozymandias-style “I did it thirty-five minutes ago” where reloading the last two minutes is not enough. I’d save like, once a year onto ones I wouldn’t save over, and then revolving ones every day or so. And of course I would constantly reload saves that contain boobs. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/31 "2013-12-13T01:51:36Z")
I’d like to be able to know in full detail what all a person’s turn-ons and kinks are just by looking at them. Would make going to an amusement park or a fair an entertaining experience. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/32 "2013-12-13T02:20:26Z")
My super power is extremely advanced personal hygiene [but I just hope nobody ever notices](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1KWyvL9ous). ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/33 "2013-12-13T02:59:56Z")
The ability to make anyone standing within a 100 yards of me tell the absolute truth. Can you imagine this during elections? In a courtroom? Wow. I’d actually look forward to jury duty. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/34 "2013-12-13T12:00:07Z")
I’ve always thought it would be cool to attain and retain the contents of any book merely by holding it to my head for, say, 20 minutes (can’t make it \*too \*easy). Walking encyclopedia, that’s me. mmm ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/35 "2013-12-13T14:54:24Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > To see a short while into the future, like up to an hour or so. Useful for gambling, avoiding disasters (or minor inconveniences), spoiling movies… Avoiding disasters? :dubious: Your power is similar to mine but one hour is too short. I like 24 hours better. Wouldn’t want to figure out 10 minutes into my 2 hour flight that it was going to crash in an hour. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/36 "2013-12-13T15:03:18Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I’ve always thought it would be cool to attain and retain the contents of any book merely by holding it to my head for, say, 20 minutes (can’t make it \*too \*easy). > > Walking encyclopedia, that’s me. Can’t you just buy an iPhone and bookwark Wikipedia ? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/37 "2013-12-13T20:44:22Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Can’t you just buy an iPhone and bookwark Wikipedia ? 😛 Or you can memorize books by reading them once or memorize scenes by briefly looking at them already in real life. The catch is that you have to usually have moderate to severe autism. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/38 "2013-12-13T20:48:44Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > Avoiding disasters? :dubious: > > Your power is similar to mine but one hour is too short. I like 24 hours better. Wouldn’t want to figure out 10 minutes into my 2 hour flight that **it was going to crash in an hour**. There was a short story of someone with ( a power, watch, ?) that would replay the previous two minutes. Guess where he wound up? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/39 "2013-12-13T21:00:15Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > The ability to control other people’s thoughts. You don’t get a teller to steal money and give it to you, you convince people who already have their own money to invest it in your…whatever. Your project, your book, your movie, whatever. Yeah, I’d go with mind control. Commute too slow? Everyone up ahead of me decides it’s time to pull over to check their cellphones. Politician I hate is ahead in the polls? All of a sudden he feels compelled to hold a press conference to discuss the Top Ten most embarrassing and/or criminal things he’s ever done. Bad guy tries to mug me? He feels a deep need to throw his gun in the river and go admit all of his misdeeds to the cops. A celebrity becoming especially irksome? Time for her to let slip to a reporter how she really feels about some very touchy segment of American society. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151/40 "2013-12-13T21:08:59Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Bad guy tries to mug me? He feels a deep need to throw his gun in the river and go admit all of his misdeeds to the cops. [Clark Kent] Just a minute, mister. Just a minute. Now, I realize, of course, that times are tough for some these days, but this isn’t the answer. You can’t solve, uh, society’s problems with a gun. [/Clark Kent] [Mugger] You know something, buddy? You’re right. I’m gonna turn over a new leaf. [/Mugger] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-super-power-under-the-radar/676151.md?page=3)