What does Sylar do with the BRAINS of the people he kills to steal their powers?

NO, he doesn't eat the brains... his power is to study his victim's brains, how it functions,how the brain generate ones power etc. so he can apply it to his own(brain) and learn their powers. Remember the episode where he is an expert in watches? He studies them carefully so he will know the whole characteristics of the watch... Hope my explaination helps. Correct me if anyone thinks I'm wrong..:)

yah i think he only study the brain.

It sounds almost hanibal like, I guess he need great parts of the brains in order to get the powers, perhaps he just melts them down or something..

I think he absorbs the part of the brain where power resides because his original skill was to be able to quickly tell how things work. I've always thought that he ate it though as the means to absorb their power. But maybe that's what the producers want us to think and will show a totally different way in season 2 as to how he takes on his victims' powers.

by the way, early in Season 2 we will all find out what Sylar has been doing with the brains... So we'll just have to wait until they unravel the mystery.:)

I always assumed that he ate the brains and they just didn't want to show it because it would be to graphic.

i really don't know what he does with the brains of his victims. also finished season 1 and his method of taking the brains was not shown. maybe he absorbs them.