LT2: The Numbers

Back in November 2005 we were focusing on The Numbers. While some of these topics have faded from view, the show has lately revisited some of these puzzles. So it could be a good idea to review this topics as well as take a trip down memory lane. And remember that each day we will post an original Lost Tidbit in the order they were published. Enjoy the trip down memory lane and maybe we will learn something we missed the first time...

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Being that LOST is one week away from a new episode…it seemed fitting to provide ONE answer.

What did one snowman say to the other?
I smell carrots.

That is the long standing and standard answer. Many Yahoo searches dated PRIOR to the Lost season reveals that answer. The other candidates that were popular answers were:

Freeze!
Have an ice day.

It is very likely that the “real” answer was not the joke, since that could be stumbled upon by a stranger who had heard the joke.

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Did you know that the combination to weapons stash in the hatch is 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42?

History of the numbers…

We learn that the numbers first show up 16 years ago when Danielle’s science team picks up a short wave transmission from the island.

We learn that Leonard Simms and Sam Toomie heard them from a long wave radio on a US Navy ship.

Danielle comes to the island and loses 15 team members and eventually her baby.
Toomie uses the numbers in a contest and bad luck begins to show up until he finally kills himself.
Simms later ends up at a mental hospital and constantly mumbles these numbers.
Hurley is at the mental ward and picks up the numbers from Simms when he wins a lottery and bad luck comes to visit.

The full set of numbers show up in various locations including on the airplane. Let’s write that one off since the airplane has no known connection to the island and the original transmission.

On the island we see the sequence in three places:
On the hatch lid
On the medicine that Desmond takes
Typed into the computer every 108 minutes

And again, we know the transmission came from the island.

Interesting note: when all the numbers are seen, they are always in the same order.

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That big arrow in the mural…it seems that this arrow is also in the center of the Dharma logo in the second hatch. This means the artist likely was at or seen the second Dharma symbol.

Some theories:

Shower smells like sulfur; cement like a radiation bunker; leaking into water system/air and causing sickness; explains need for injections

Magnet keeps the island hidden from detection

Magnet keeps the disease on the island – I like suggesting that the nanites (black smoke) is kept in place by the magnet

Someone suggested re-watching the show for the oddest comments – like the shower scene.

Jack: “How was it...the shower?”
Kate: “Other than the water pressure sucks and the water smelled like sulfur…”

While anyone would mention water that smelled (I’ve been in hot springs and when the story is told the smell is usually mentioned), the better question is, “Why did the writers feel it necessary to mention it?” Picture yourself sitting in a room putting the script together. You get a great idea for a shower and thow in the strange sounds leading to little old Kate dropping her clothes. I can see the line, “How was it?”

And I understand why a writer for Kate suggesting the response me, “Water pressure sucked.” But not actually BEING there…the writer had some reason to mention the smell to us.

Sulfur is typically found near volcanoes and hot springs. Sometimes it is called brimstone for the location of it near volcanoes (as in fire and brimstone/sulfur).

The only connection I’m making is the mural which seems to have a vial or funnel in the lower right hand corner…red stuff inside. Then again, many islands in the Pacific are formed from volcanoes so it might explain the geothermal and natural formation of the stuff. Still, it might be good to re-watch episodes and focus on the script when certain lines seem out of place.

Lift it up,
KC