# Lost 2.17: "Lockdown" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 29, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423 "2006-03-29T16:50:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/201 "2006-03-31T15:53:27Z")
Do we _know_ nobody heard a plane? All we saw was the pallet. Nobody asked Sayid if he heard anything. Nobody knows if the people on the beach heard anything. I’m betting on a drop from a C-130 or something. Anything else gets awkward. ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/202 "2006-03-31T15:55:04Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > I was also skeptical about Helen’s innocence, and kept expecting her to be the Sawyer in this little con. Except, of course, Locke has no money to steal, that we know of. Well, he does have a second kidney… ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/203 "2006-03-31T16:25:33Z")
And a spleen, and bone marrow, and corneas, and if I recall correctly a liver can be partly donated without killing the provider… ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/204 "2006-03-31T16:29:53Z")
But not hair. Definitely not hair. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/205 "2006-03-31T16:41:02Z")
> [@AndyPolley](#): > > 1. They’re only at the mercy of the wind if the Hanso foundation can’t manipulate or predict the weather. Great point. > [@AndyPolley](#): > > 1. You’re still probably more right than I am. I dunno, this is _Lost_, even when things are explained, that doesn’t mean it’s the whole explanation. Actually it could be that the pallet is sitting on a freight elevator and was simple lifted up to island level. Or, like others (Not The Others) have posited, if could have been shot out of a giant freight delivery cannon. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/206 "2006-03-31T16:55:50Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > Except that map maker would need a black light up there, too, so he doesn’t overwrite on other notes and make the thing more illegible than it is. Portable blacklights aren’t a problem; and with glow-in-UV pens, he wouldn’t have any trouble seeing what he was doing. However, Occam’s razor says he would have done the writing while the door was (all the way :smack: ) down, rather than climbing up into a crawlspace. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/207 "2006-03-31T16:56:17Z")
Another friend, who’s a graphic designer so very, very familiar with these things, pointed out that the signature on Henry Gale’s license is not handwriting but a computer font. Look at it closely; I’m 99.9% sure she’s right. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/208 "2006-03-31T16:58:05Z")
Also: what the hell is up with putting crawlspaces into secure areas??? I understand if you’re trying to create a space the bears can’t get into, that works for the control center (so what were they trying to keep out that they needed those blast doors for, anyway?), but why would the bears be trying to steal the guns? ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/209 "2006-03-31T17:06:19Z")
[Here](http://www.thetailsection.com/uploaded_images/cleanwall-707484.jpg) is the best version of the map I’ve seen so far. I especially like up in the left hand corner where it says The disease worsens with the treatment. The remedy is worse than the disease ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/210 "2006-03-31T17:07:28Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > …but why would the bears be trying to steal the guns? Because people were shooting up all the delicious ranch dressing? Yeah, I got nothin’… ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/211 "2006-03-31T17:07:56Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > … why would the bears be trying to steal the guns? Maybe they heard about the right to bear arms and were trying to get some. ---
**Author:** ![AndyPolley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@AndyPolley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyPolley)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/212 "2006-03-31T17:10:31Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > Actually it could be that the pallet is sitting on a freight elevator and was simple lifted up to island level. Or, like others (Not The Others) have posited, if could have been shot out of a giant freight delivery cannon. After looking at the map, this is certainly possible as well. There’s clearly something going on under the ground on the Island. > [@Ethilrist](#): > > Occam’s razor says he would have done the writing while the door was (all the way ) down, rather than climbing up into a crawlspace. I don’t think the writers of Lost have any respect for Occam’s razor. 😉 So if he (Desmond? Kelvin? Henry Gale?) was doing the map drawing while the blast doors were down, and we can figure that the doors come down on a regular, scheduled basis, can we assume that whoever was drawing the map was trying to keep it hidden from…someone in the Dharma Initiative? Maybe the artist was Kelvin & he was keeping the map hidden from Desmond as well. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/213 "2006-03-31T17:45:34Z")
> [@AndyPolley](#): > > Maybe the artist was Kelvin & he was keeping the map hidden from Desmond as well. Coincidence that Desmond told Jack “You’ve got to lift it up,” with such strange intensity before saying he was talking about the ankle? “_Sursum corda Sursum corda Sursum corda_” ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/214 "2006-03-31T18:12:04Z")
Has the word “Dharma” ever been uttered by any of the Losties? They’re eating Sugar Frosted Dharma Flakes, and using Dharma Ranch Dressing for targets…but no one seems to have ever said, “hey, what do you think this Dharma thing’s all about? Are they possibly connected to The Others?” Everybody who works in the hatch for Number Duty seems more interested in the laundry facilties. A maddening lack of curiosity. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/215 "2006-03-31T18:15:50Z")
Ok, so in looking at the drawing, next to the flame, the “artist” has scrawled, √16 √64 √255 ok so the square root of 16 is 4, of 64 is 8, our first two numbers, then the curve ball, the square root of 255 is not 15 (the next number) it’s actually 15.968719422671311999070245176981. Hmmm. Whatever that means. If it means anything at all. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/216 "2006-03-31T18:17:59Z")
Ok, so in looking at the drawing, next to the flame, the “artist” has scrawled, √16 √64 √255 ok so the square root of 16 is 4, of 64 is 8, our first two numbers, then the curve ball, the square root of 255 is not 15 (the next number) it’s actually 15.968719422671311999070245176981. Hmmm. Whatever that means. If it means anything at all. Then to the right of Swan, there’s written which appears to be cooridinates maybe? x4 y8 z15 I’m no mathematician by any stretch so if anyone can enlighten, that would be great. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/217 "2006-03-31T18:25:47Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Has the word “Dharma” ever been uttered by any of the Losties? They’re eating Sugar Frosted Dharma Flakes, and using Dharma Ranch Dressing for targets…but no one seems to have ever said, “hey, what do you think this Dharma thing’s all about? Are they possibly connected to The Others?” Everybody who works in the hatch for Number Duty seems more interested in the laundry facilties. A maddening lack of curiosity. Yeah, I think the astounding lack of curiousity is most likely a substantial clue to the nature of the island or the experiment. It’s as though the Losties have developed an odd sense of complacency. You’d think with their survival needs already met, they have shelter, food, fresh water, that they’d be just as concerned with what the hell the island is, why the hatches and what went (is going) on there and how it’s connected to The Others if at all. But no, they’re just paranoid about the Others, forming a military to fight them and about Henry Gale being a possible Other. ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/218 "2006-03-31T18:26:03Z")
> [@Alias](#): > > [Here](http://www.thetailsection.com/uploaded_images/cleanwall-707484.jpg) is the best version of the map I’ve seen so far. Immediately to the right of the central question-mark in the linked map is the phrase: > [@](#): > > A mouse does not rely on just one hole. Apart from the obvious reference to stations with multiple hatches, there’s another Apollonian link: Apollo was sometimes known as [Smintheus](http://www.livius.org/a/turkey/smintheum/smintheum.html) _(lord of mice)_. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/219 "2006-03-31T18:49:36Z")
Maybe the hole that the monster was trying to drag Locke into was the access point to the ? area. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423/220 "2006-03-31T19:02:37Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Has the word “Dharma” ever been uttered by any of the Losties? They’re eating Sugar Frosted Dharma Flakes, and using Dharma Ranch Dressing for targets…but no one seems to have ever said, “hey, what do you think this Dharma thing’s all about? Are they possibly connected to The Others?” Everybody who works in the hatch for Number Duty seems more interested in the laundry facilties. A maddening lack of curiosity. The Dharma Inititive was explained in the orientation film that Jack, Locke, Eko and probably others have seen so they know something about it. Not sure if they think the Others are connected or not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-17-lockdown/350423.md?page=12)