Concentrate and Ask Again
episode of Fringe (S3 E12)
"Concentrate and Ask Again" is the 12th episode of the third season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and the 55th episode overall. In the episode, the Fringe division enlists the help of a troubled telepathic man (Omid Abtahi) in their investigation of a mysterious blue killing powder. Abtahi, Kevin Corrigan, Jody Thompson, and Paul Jarrett guest-starred.
Graham Roland and Matthew Pitts co-wrote the episode, while Dennis Smith directed. The episode first aired in the United States on February 4, 2011, to an estimated 4.3 million viewers on its initial broadcast, a 16-percent drop in viewership from the previous two Friday episodes, "Reciprocity" and "The Firefly". "Concentrate and Ask Again" received mixed to positive reviews from television critics, with writers praising the advancement of the series' mythology but criticizing the main mystery plot.
Plot
A lead scientist for a pharmaceutical company is killed by a blue powder that turns his bones into dust. The Fringe division traces the source of the package which contained the powder to a former Marine; when they search his home, Peter (Joshua Jackson) finds the man nearby and gives chase, but the man is hit by a car and knocked into a coma. Broyles (Lance Reddick) fears that there may be others involved in targeted attacks. Walter (John Noble) suggests they read the man's mind to learn of any such plot using the ability of one of his undocumented nootropic Cortexiphan patients, Simon Phillips (Omid Abtahi).
The public source identifies “Concentrate and Ask Again” as episode of Fringe (S3 E12). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Concentrate, Again and episode.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Concentrate and Ask Again”, the useful work is to connect “episode of Fringe (S3 E12)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5158309. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2011.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Concentrate and Ask Again”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Concentrate and Ask Again primary sources, Concentrate and Ask Again archive and Concentrate research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Concentrate and Ask Again”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Concentrate and Ask Again” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.