does anyone else think that if you really wanted a formula to never be used again you should do something other than tear it in half?
perhaps burn it? or even if you thought that it might have a use someday perhaps tear it into... I don't know... more than TWO pieces?!

Because there wouldn't be a show if things like that happened? It's kinda like the questions people ask about why Hiro and Peter don't always go back to undo things that happened 5 minutes prior. Because it'd be boring.

Well it seems the Company had parallel reseaches on giving and taking away abilities.

The Shanti virus was a dead end. Thus the formula research was shut down.

They knew the Shanti virus could kill everyone and all they did was lock it away in a safe rather then destroy it. Lets face it, the company is purely opportunistic. They save away dangerous specials until they can find some use for them. This is that same sort of concept. Yes it would be unspeakably bad if this formula got out, yes they have gone to lengths to hide it...but if they ever needed it, it was still there. They recycle the bad things they come across incase they can ever use something to serve their own needs.

Well said. The Company seems to have a single solitary goal, when it comes down to it: Control.

The Company uses any means necessary to ensure they can keep a handle on evolved humans. That means keeping research around that might be world ending but also might be the key to offsetting the rise of villians like Adam, Sylar, Maury, etc. Not smart, but one could point out that The Company is dealing in the same chaotic unknown waters that the rest of the heroes are. Even though they've been doing it a lot longer, they still can't account for everything.

lmfao. Even cutting it into four would've been a little more safe.

I like mtalon1's explanation of Control best.

I wondered the same thing about the Shanti virus. I mean, you develop a bioweapon that could kill >90% of the human race. You barely stop one of your colleagues from releasing it. So do you maybe destroy it? No, if you're Kaito Nakamura you lock it away just in case you need it later.

The Company has shown itself to be of two minds about these things. On the one hand they feel the need to keep these things out of the wrong hands. But on the other hand they hate to destroy anything that's irreplaceable. Because, well, you just never know.

i think that they split it in two coz they thought that in the future, they would want to use, someone, somewhere would find a use for it. that's the only excuse i can think of not to totally destroy it