Ok, here's my first theory based on 2 episodes of the first season:

The Pattern is a series of tests by some unknown power to determine the extent of Bishop (the elder)'s supernatural abilities.

The Pattern has somehow discovered that Bishop has the ability to unconsciously manipulate reality to allow his "mad scientist" ideas and hypotheses to actually work.

Therefore, they're setting up situations where he is goaded into making hypotheses and developing mad scientist ideas to probe the extent of this ability.

I have no evidence per se, except a niggling feeling watching Bishop that he's making it all up as he goes along.

-AJF

Didn't Professor Penrose say something about it being for the best that Bishop was locked-up? I need to watch the ep again. I don't really want to since I did-not-like the dentist instrument scenes with Penrose's son. I'll have to fast-forward through those parts.

Yeah, I like the mystery aspect and don't really want to see people being tortured, I just don't find that entertaining. They could tell us what happened and that's frightening enough to think about without seeing it.
I'm not convince Dr. Squirty is really that mentally incapacitated, I have a feeling he's sharper than he's letting on. Maybe it's been set up so that he's participating in the experiments under the guise that he's helping fight what's going on when's he's assisting? I dunno, something's up with him though I agree.

Yeah, I like the mystery aspect and don't really want to see people being tortured, I just don't find that entertaining. They could tell us what happened and that's frightening enough to think about without seeing it.
I'm not convince Dr. Squirty is really that mentally incapacitated, I have a feeling he's sharper than he's letting on. Maybe it's been set up so that he's participating in the experiments under the guise that he's helping fight what's going on when's he's assisting? I dunno, something's up with him though I agree.

That's it exactly, Madge. I really want to like this show....and I think I will. However, I don't want to see torture...the description that Olivia gave was enough to make me cringe.

I couldn't watch Sawyer get tortured by Sayid. To this day I've never seen that scene or the scene where Sayid tortured the Iraq soldier lol.... I fast forwarded those parts every time I watched it.

I think Bishop is truly a nutcase. He might get more lucid over time...but he's a nutcase through and through.

I'm sure he's just forgotten that he's invented a pill that will make him completely sane again, super sane even.

Interesting theory, I guess we'll see. He's definitely a nutter. That would be an interesting little twist down the line. So far though, I thinking more along the lines of the government capitalizing on Bishops research and tossing him away into a nuthouse while they put his science to "good work." (read: bad people).

Hey, I tried to register over at the Fringe, but had no luck cuz it appears someone used this name. Can anyone confirm that? I wondered if maybe I did it one night, perhaps a little drunk, but a password retreival hasn't worked.

maybe Bishop experiemented on himself? too much LSD could explain his current mental state (although its not exactly proven what long term effects LSD has, this is fiction after all)

I agree, too much gore and torture. I can't watch it.