4 8 15 16 23 42

I suppose it's about time I browsed some forums and did some brainstorming about all the mysteries of LOST. I think I held off so long partially because I didn't want to spoil myself and partially because I wanted to develop my own theories without influences. Then I decided I was stupid and lazy and far too obsessed with far too many things to actually spend enough time studying and reawatching LOST to find all the clues. Why go to all that effort when thousands of other nerdy fans have already done that work for me?

So, anyway, I came across some interesting bits of info and theories amongst all the driftwood. Everyone and their dog has a theory about the numbers though I've yet to see anyone point out that the last number is the answer to the life, the universe and everything. The introduction of the Dharma initiative in the most recent episode also raises a number of interesting theories. Combined with the strange quote from Jin at the end of the preview that apparently was actually a clip from some interview with the actor, and the fact that the man in the orientation video was Asian, some have theorized that Jin does speak English and was sent to this island by Sun's father who owns the whole Dharma initiative project. I think that's a little farfetched, but it's funny how people get all bent out of shape over previews. There's also some crazy theory about a book some one made up with a theory about the numbers and genetic mirroring or something... If it sounds too good to be true that's because it is.

Anyway, I thought these websites were rather interesting:

Oceanic Airlines
Hanso Foundation

This is also rather funny. If you go to the official website here and click on the barcode at the bottom and type in "theislandiswaiting" you get a pretty amusing bit of "discarded" script.
Lost Website

Also, I've found some discussion about the number 108 (the sum of the numbers in the sequence), including some that echoes my own thinking. I've included a couple of quotes on the subject:

"The number 108 is highly auspicious in the Buddhist religion. Buddhist mallas ("rosaries") have 108 beads; it is a custom among Japanese Buddhists to ring a large bell 108 times at the beginning of each year for new year's luck; and among some sects of Buddhism, there are said to be 108 human beings who could have achieved nirvana or buddhahood, but have chosen to reincarnate on Earth to serve suffering humanity."

"We encounter the figure 108 frequently in Buddhism, now once as the number of large Bodhisattvas, then as the number of mental disorders against which boeddha offered Dharma-doors, which means treatments."

"could this be the relation between 108 and sick. And could it be that Dharma doors 4-8-15-16-23-42 are the "doors" to be used (is there a door for every mental disorder)????"

"did they open the hatch on the 40th day? maybe they will open one on the 80th 150th 160th 230th and 420th day..."

I also hadn't noticed that the shark which attacks Michael and Sawyer has the Dharma symbol on it... That makes me think that it and the other examples of a "security system" do have something to do with the Dharma Initiative after all.

Well, enough theorizing for now...