FWIW in all the “Lost Experience” stuff it has apparently been revealed that the numbers are six values returned by some equation which predicts the exact time of the end of the world, and the Dharma Project was attempting to use weird phenomena it had discovered on the island in order to attempt to change at least one of those six values and thereby find a way to keep the end of the world from happening.
Which is lame. IMO. And only barely even makes sense.
-FrL-
I don’t think it necessarily implies that the other plane crash was due to bad button pushing. I mean, if the magnetic disturbance whatsit thingy that was barely averted managed to rip Oceanic 815 in HALF… wouldn’t a similar force have just crumpled the teeny tiny Nigerian plane into a little metal spitball?
Locke’s vision of the Nigerian plane going down didn’t indicate to me any necessary similarity with how Oceanic 815 crashed.
But the fact that things keep crashing on this island – planes, sailboats, slave ships… hell, trains and space shuttles for all we know! Well, that’s an interesting mystery in itself.
I’m wondering how crucial the “Lost Experience” stuff will be as the show progresses – in terms of unravelling the mysteries and understanding what’s going on? I hope it was only intended as a side diversion and not a crucial part of the show’s information. Because I’m sure a lot of people (myself included) didn’t feel like taking all the time to keep up with it over the summer.
I read some bits and pieces about it on Lostpedia – and that wiki has already grown rather large and convoluted with all the cross-references, not just show stuff but “Lost Experience” stuff, too.
Well, if the magnetic field builds up over each 108 minute period, perhaps it’s even strong enough right before a prompt button pushing to still have an effect on air or sea vessels. Remember in, Season 2 when Jack’s necklace was being pulled toward the magnet? The field was there, just a little more “controlled” or “subdued”, if you will.
Maybe it’s the other way around. Maybe the presence of a ship or plane causes bad juju in the button pusher’s brain that makes him not push the button… I mean, maybe the island reverse cause and effect in a Quantum Mechanical Hyper-singularity that totally discombobulates the thing-a-majigy.
Well yeah, I was gonna say that next.
I have a problem believing that we, the audience, are supposed to believe that magnetic fields had any affect (besides the compass) on these aluminum aircraft. Or the fiberglass sailboat.
OK…so we know what the numbers are, but why do they have such power? How can they be the answer to a lottery? Why are they…umm…whatever it was that Australian dude used them for (didn’t he win a truck with them, or something?) And do they really bring bad luck, or is that just more coincidences.
√2.
It remains to be seen whether a manual piloting system will defeat the boat- or airplane-attracting power of the island (if it’s still working). Desmond may have looped back because he pointed the boat north, slaved the tiller to the compass, then went below decks to have a few. The Nigerian plane would have ended up there because the pilot was following the compass; flying by landmarks is a little tricky when there is no land.
However, if they get enough people on the boat to sail in a particular direction and know not to trust the compass, they may be able to get away.
I see you tried reversing the polarity in your morning coffee again… 
He’s really bucking for trouble. You drink too much Reversed Polarity Folgers and the walls start bouncing off of you.
COMPENSATE!!!
In the last episode of season 2, was there an earthquake experience outside the hatch? Did we see how the others reacted? I remember that we saw them after the key was turned but what happened before?
I am in the Navy and currently out to sea…so reading these Lost threads is my only exposure to the show.
That being said, I’m am still getting pissed off about the direction in which the series is going. Answer the damn questions already. Abrahms, who did wonderful job with Alias (IMO) is killing me here. The show has left too many unanswered questions. So what, they are going to have a “tell-all answer show”? I highly doubt it. Too many questions, not enough satisfying answers = me becoming “lost” with the series.
PS, thanks for keeping me up to date on the episodes, SDMB!!!
Yesterdog, do you also know about Television Without Pity? They do fairly detailed recaps (with a certain amount of snark and derision, as needed).
Glad we can help! No one can download the episodes on your ship? I thought we were well past the time where you had to be sitting in front of anctual TV to enjoy these types of shows…
For anyone interested, the writers have (and this isn’t a plot spoiler, just a general promise):
Episode 6 this season will change everything we think we know about the island.
I don’t really mind the delay in answering the questions so much. Here’s how I see it. Imagine the story as a series of concentric spheres. Season 1 started with the development of the inner most sphere and few hints at the next one. Season 2 told us about the tailies and a little bit about The Others. Season/sphere 3 is going to be about The Others and, I presume, will give us hints about what Season/sphere 4 entails. Maybe that will be about the links The Others have with the outside world. Perhaps Season 4 will have quite a few episodes in the outsie world. It’s like the reverse peeling of an onion, and I actually think they’re doing a good job. After all, if we knew all the answers, why would we watch the show? And they are giving us answers, but only about how what we know now relates to next plot-sphere.
Heh. Somewhat… We have satellite internet. Not the fastest. In fact, worse than a 14.4 modem. SDMB is one of the few sites I can tollerate visiting.
Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll be sure to check it out.
There are also sites that post transcripts. They tend to lag a few weeks behind (at the ones I know do), but the text is near perfect. Sometimes better, because you can’t always hear everything everyone says.
I’m surprised no one else has mentioned how annoying it is that once again, a plan is foiled by a gun to Kate’s head. Someday one of them is just going to say, “Freakin’ shoot her already” and go ahead with whatever they were doing. Good night, Freckles.