Lost (TV show)

[Lyle]

Lowercase "dharma" might be a religious reference, but I'm guessing that DHARMA in all caps is an acronym for a government program, like DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency).

Agree.

There's a government plan to study a tropical disease (and whether it has military uses, if the plot follows convention). The disease, known only by its assigned code numbers, affects polar bears and sharks, and the effects on humans were being monitored from below ground by a research team with a multi-year food and energy supply. It's been going on for many years, since the days of LP records, but the project staff, other than Desmond, were infected and he's now stuck there with his old equipment. His communication system doesn't work, and he's paranoid about the people he knows are on the island ("the others") since they were infected, and in fact might have been brought there as research subjects.

Given what we know so far, it does seem plausible that there was some kind of experiment going on, maybe something having to do with germ warfare. Desmond's question for Locke ("Are you him?") suggested to me that Desmond's been waiting for someone to come to relieve him of his post. Desmond also asked Locke how they got there, and when he heard that it was a plane crash, Desmond said something like, "So there's still a world out there?" -- that suggested to me that Desmond thought that something would have killed off the rest of the world by now.

I only started watching the show late in the first season, so I rented the Season 1 DVDs last night to try to catch up over the next few days. I'll post here if I notice anything that is especially "interesting" given what we now know (or at least think we know).

Even more out-on-a-limb: Perhaps the equipment generates a huge magnetic field, as seen with Jack's key, and when focused it can bring down an airliner.

Interesting idea! I hadn't thought about that possibility.

 

[stonyc]

Agree.

Given what we know so far, it does seem plausible that there was some kind of experiment going on, maybe something having to do with germ warfare. Desmond's question for Locke ("Are you him?") suggested to me that Desmond's been waiting for someone to come to relieve him of his post. Desmond also asked Locke how they got there, and when he heard that it was a plane crash, Desmond said something like, "So there's still a world out there?" -- that suggested to me that Desmond thought that something would have killed off the rest of the world by now.

I only started watching the show late in the first season, so I rented the Season 1 DVDs last night to try to catch up over the next few days. I'll post here if I notice anything that is especially "interesting" given what we now know (or at least think we know).

Interesting idea! I hadn't thought about that possibility.

Wow... great couple posts. I also like the military research angle too, especially given writers' comments that everything on the island could be explained scientifically.

 

[emw]

Even more out-on-a-limb: Perhaps the equipment generates a huge magnetic field, as seen with Jack's key, and when focused it can bring down an airliner. In which case Locke was right that the island brought them there.
__________________
4 8 15 16 23 42

As for the magnetic field, if it were really that large, wouldn't it disrupt any electric equipment on or near the island (such as the radar system or the radio)?

And perhaps a non-interesting note, there are six letters in DHARMA and six "bad" numbers. Care to figure out that association? (Augggh, memories of ninebows!)

 

[Doctor Q]

4 - D is the 4th letter
8 - H is the 8th letter
15 - A is the 1st letter
16 - R is the 18th letter
23 - M is the 13th letter
42 - A is the 1st letter

It looked promising for a minute there, didn't it?

Tried the orther way:

D is the 4th letter
H is the 8th letter
O is the 15st letter
P is the 16th letter
W is the 23th letter
? is the 42nd letter

The 42nd letter could be lowercase j if you start counting at 40 hex (to make D=4, H=8, etc.), but DHOPWj doesn't spell anything interesting. If you assume Z=26 and start over at A=27, then P=42, and we get DHOPWP.

Perhaps it really spells deepakchopra.

 

[clayj]

Oh, by the way...

4 + 8 + 15 + 16 + 23 + 42 = 108

... and 108 is what the timer on Desmond's Apple II reset itself to (technically, 108 00) when he made Locke key in the numbers and press EXECUTE.

 

[watcher2001]

Hey now, I don't consider myself an American for living in Canada, and I bet Mexicans, Nicaraguans, Brazilians, etc wouldn't like it either.

Amazing, If you live in Germany or France it is OK to be called European because you live on the European continent. However if you live in Canada or Mexico it is a sin to consider you an American??? It is really interesting to see how the United States can give a whole continent a bad rap.

And yes, I know you didn't mean it like that, but it's just another annoying American generalization.

Now is that a US american, Mexican American, or Canadian American generalization. I personally cannot think of anyone here in the States that would consider any other county as American except for the United States of America. Is that vain? Probably.

 

[Doctor Q]

Consider all integers greater than or equal to 4. Convert them to binary. Count the 1 digits. If the square root of that number is an integer, include the starting number in the list.

OK, here we go...

4 decimal = 100 binary, onecount=1, squareroot(1) = 1, an integer => 4

5 decimal = 101 binary, onecount=2, squareroot(2) not an integer

6 decimal = 110 binary, onecount=2, squareroot(2) not an integer

7 decimal = 111 binary, onecount=3, squareroot(3) not an integer

8 decimal = 1000 binary, onecount=1, squareroot(1) = 1, an integer => 8

9 decimal = 1001 binary, onecount=2, squareroot(2) not an integer

10 decimal = 1010 binary, onecount=2, squareroot(2) not an integer

11 decimal = 1011 binary, onecount=3, squareroot(3) not an integer

12 decimal = 1100 binary, onecount=2, squareroot(2) not an integer

13 decimal = 1101 binary, onecount=3, squareroot(3) not an integer

14 decimal = 1110 binary, onecount=3, squareroot(3) not an integer

15 decimal = 1111 binary, onecount=4, squareroot(4) = 2, an integer => 15

16 decimal = 10000 binary, onecount=1, squareroot(1) = 1, an integer => 16

17 decimal = 10001 binary, onecount=2, squareroot(2) not an integer

18 decimal = 10010 binary, onecount=2, squareroot(2) not an integer

19 decimal = 10011 binary, onecount=3, squareroot(3) not an integer

20 decimal = 10100 binary, onecount=2, squareroot(2) not an integer

21 decimal = 10101 binary, onecount=3, squareroot(3) not an integer

22 decimal = 10110 binary, onecount=3, squareroot(3) not an integer

23 decimal = 10111 binary, onecount=4, squareroot(4) = 2, an integer => 23

24 decimal = 11000 binary, onecount=2, squareroot(2) not an integer

25 decimal = 11001 binary, onecount=3, squareroot(3) not an integer

26 decimal = 11010 binary, onecount=3, squareroot(3) not an integer

27 decimal = 11011 binary, onecount=4, squareroot(4) = 2, an integer => 27, not 42

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

__________________
4 8 15 16 23 42

 

[watcher2001]

You now doc, I always thought you had too much time on your hands... Now I am sure of it...

 

[Macaddicttt]

Amazing, If you live in Germany or France it is OK to be called European because you live on the European continent. However if you live in Canada or Mexico it is a sin to consider you an American??? It is really interesting to see how the United States can give a whole continent a bad rap.



Now is that a US american, Mexican American, or Canadian American generalization. I personally cannot think of anyone here in the States that would consider any other county as American except for the United States of America. Is that vain? Probably.

Actually, you can blame the British for the word "American" referring only to the US. They're the ones that started it, so now it just makes the US look bad because it looks like we started it.

 

[Don't panic]

You now doc, I always thought you had too much time on your hands... Now I am sure of it...

couldn't agree more

 

[jsw]

...
27, not 42

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

__________________
4 8 15 16 23 42

Maybe they just liked the way 101010 looked....

 

[solvs]

You guys have way too much time on your hands. I'm jealous.

 

[emw]

Consider all integers greater than or equal to 4. Convert them to binary. Count the 1 digits. If the square root of that number is an integer, include the starting number in the list.

OK, here we go...

I'd almost feel bad for getting you onto this track, if I didn't know you enjoyed it so much...

 

[Doctor Q]

I'd almost feel bad for getting you onto this track, if I didn't know you enjoyed it so much...

Oh, it was awful. I got a headache from thinking about it and my fingers are all worn out from scribbling formulas on the walls of my padded cell.

OK, yeah, I had fun. A week or two ago, I read (I think in a comic strip) where somebody was wondering how many prime numbers are in the phone book. For some reason, my wife didn't want to listen to my explanation of how you could figure it out. I can't imagine why.

 

[Nermal]

For some reason, my wife didn't want to listen to my explanation of how you could figure it out. I can't imagine why.

I can think of a good reason.

 

[MongoTheGeek]

Oh, it was awful. I got a headache from thinking about it and my fingers are all worn out from scribbling formulas on the walls of my padded cell.

OK, yeah, I had fun. A week or two ago, I read (I think in a comic strip) where somebody was wondering how many prime numbers are in the phone book. For some reason, my wife didn't want to listen to my explanation of how you could figure it out. I can't imagine why.

I am now checking to see if my phone num is prime. Did it by hand up to 50. Time to dig out SMILE.

set mynum to 8675309
set top to ceil (sqrt mynum)
repeat with i from 2 to top
set a to mynum / i
set b to ceil a
if a = b then log i
end repeat


Jenny's number is prime.

Mine isn't its divisible by a 3 and a 5 digit prime.

 

[Nermal]

Grr, my phone number (1592443) is divisible by 37

I'll have to add the area code and try again

Edit: Nope, my phone number + area code is divisible by 857

 

[Lacero]

I read on Digg the numbers are GPS co-ordinates. They point to an area to the northwest of Australia. Sounds reasonable.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

I'm so f***ing mad at TVN (the Norwegian station sending Lost): Season 2 doesn't start until Oct 26th...

But I can help with people trying to check if their number is a prime, as I wrote a little Java program a couple of years ago...

/*
	isPrime, version 1.0
	by Mitthrawnuruodo
*/

import java.io.*;
import java.net.*;
import java.util.*;
import java.lang.*; 

class isPrime {
    public static void main ( String[] args ) {
	// System.out.println(args.length);
	if (args.length < 1) {
		System.out.println("You must at least provide one number to check!");
	} else {
		for (int j = 0; j < args.length; j++){
			int a = (Integer.valueOf(args[j])).intValue();
			if (a < 4){
				System.out.println("" + a + " is too low, cannot be bothered to check something under 3");
			} else {
				boolean er = true;
				for (int i = 2; i<=a/i; i++){
					if (a%i == 0) { 
						System.out.println("" + a + " = " +  i + " * " + a/i + "; and thus NOT a prime");
						er = false;
						break; // No need to find any more common denominators...
					}//if
				}//for
				if (er) System.out.println("" + a + " is a prime, I think... =)");
			}//else(a<4)
		}//for j=0->args.length	
	}//else(args<1)	
    }//main
}//class

 

[pdpfilms]

Could someone summarize what happened last wednesday? I missed the episode for a Sigur Ros show (completely worth it by the way... they are unbelievable). I heard there were sharks, someone reappeared on the island, and kate was crawling around in the vents?

Thanks.

 

[Doctor Q]

Could someone summarize what happened last wednesday? I missed the episode for a Sigur Ros show (completely worth it by the way... they are unbelievable). I heard there were sharks, someone reappeared on the island, and kate was crawling around in the vents?

ABC's summary is rather brief:

Out on the ocean, we find Michael and Sawyer clinging to a couple of pieces of bamboo, trying to survive the elements - but no sign of Jin or Walt. While Michael tries to deal with Walt's abduction, we flashback to learn how he lost Walt in a custody battle with Susan.

On the island, Claire discovers Charlie's Virgin Mary statue, but remains unaware of its contents. And we back up in time to see the journey into the hatch from Locke's perspective, where he encounters Desmond, a man who seems rather concerned about entering a sequence of familiar numbers into a computer.

In the end, Michael and Sawyer make it to shore and are reunited with Jin, only to encounter a whole new element: the Others.​

I guess they didn't notice the shark!

From another web site:

With the abduction of Walt fresh on their minds, their raft destroyed, and Jin missing, Michael and Sawyer fight for their lives in the middle of nowhere in the ocean and discover a new predator in the roiling sea. Meanwhile on land, Locke must descend into the hatch when Kate goes missing inside. Also, Jack isn't too far behind Locke as he decides to go into the hatch as well later on. Laslty, flashbacks reveal more of Michael's troubled relationship with ex-lover Susan and their baby son Walt as they fight over custody for Walt and Michael must let go.​

 

[pdpfilms]

ABC's summary is rather brief:

Out on the ocean, we find Michael and Sawyer clinging to a couple of pieces of bamboo, trying to survive the elements - but no sign of Jin or Walt. While Michael tries to deal with Walt's abduction, we flashback to learn how he lost Walt in a custody battle with Susan.

On the island, Claire discovers Charlie's Virgin Mary statue, but remains unaware of its contents. And we back up in time to see the journey into the hatch from Locke's perspective, where he encounters Desmond, a man who seems rather concerned about entering a sequence of familiar numbers into a computer.

In the end, Michael and Sawyer make it to shore and are reunited with Jin, only to encounter a whole new element: the Others.​

I guess they didn't notice the shark!

From another web site:

With the abduction of Walt fresh on their minds, their raft destroyed, and Jin missing, Michael and Sawyer fight for their lives in the middle of nowhere in the ocean and discover a new predator in the roiling sea. Meanwhile on land, Locke must descend into the hatch when Kate goes missing inside. Also, Jack isn't too far behind Locke as he decides to go into the hatch as well later on. Laslty, flashbacks reveal more of Michael's troubled relationship with ex-lover Susan and their baby son Walt as they fight over custody for Walt and Michael must let go.​

totally bueno. I didn't realize you could get summaries on ABC's site. thanks!

 

[AlBDamned]

totally bueno. I didn't realize you could get summaries on ABC's site. thanks!

Wow. Just finished watching Ep. 2-2 and I am now officially hooked with this series. These first two make series 1 look tame. I totally go with the whole experiment idea; there were many (maybe 'the others') but they got sick, hence Desmond's vaccine and seclusion, and that bunker is definitely designed for more than one person.

I didn't actually notice the shark had a logo on it. Keen eyes for whoever did!

The numbers requiring typing every so often could well mean a self-destruct or something?

 

[Nermal]

I didn't actually notice the shark had a logo on it. Keen eyes for whoever did!

Me!

 

[yellow]

Did anyone else notice that the stuffed bear that Mike gave to Walt before he left for Rome (?) with his mother just happened to be...

<wait for it>

..a polar bear?