There are a lot of theories out there now speculating on why the object sent to the island has a timer on it that is 31 minutes or so ahead of the timer on the island. I am new to the site and I apologize if this theory has already been put out there or if it is already common sense amongst you "die hard" lost fans. Please read it all before dismissing it.
I think this is very critical as to why the Losties have not been found yet. Think about it. If the "island time" is always behind "real time" by 31 minutes or so, then it would be impossible to find the wreckage or anything else on the island. If a rescue plane flies over the island after the crash on September 31st at 5:31pm (real time) they would find nothing on the island. Not the survivors. Not the wreck. Nothing. This is because the island time has only reached September 31st at 5:00pm. They have not yet reached or caught up to 5:31pm. They do not exist there yet.
Picture two time lines, one above the other. The "island timeline" has an X marking the date 9/22/2004 at 4:16pm, which is the time and date of the crash. The "Real Timeline" is 31 minutes ahead of that time and has an X marking the spot at 4:47pm. If both these timelines are moving at the same speeds, the X on the island timeline, which contains our Losties, The Others, the plane wreckage, etc., will never catch up to the X on the real timeline. That is why they are not visible to the outside world.
But, if a rescue plane leaves or drops something (like the object the freighter shot), the Losties and "island time" will eventually catch up with it. This can also be the explanation as to why whatever dropped that supply box on the island was not seen by anyone. Because technically it was dropped in the future onto the island. The object then entered "island time" where it gives the Losties and everyone else on the island the chance to "catch up to it".
Depending on how far back it was when "island time" fell behind "real time" this can explain a lot of things on the show. If it goes back far enough, then the others would not have been seen on the island, the original Dharma Initiative would not have been seen on the island, or that giant foot would not have been seen from off the island. This could quite possibly mean that the ISLAND itself does not exist at all if you are viewing 31 minutes in the future.
For example, if "island time" fell behind "real time" on August 1st, 2003, at 1:31pm, then everything would have been seen the same up to that point. But, after that point the real world is seeing the island 31 minutes in the future, when basically nothing has changed because "island time" hasn't caught up to "real time" yet, and probably never will. It will always be 31 minutes behind.
But, if "island time" has always (and i mean Always) been behind "real time" by 31 minutes (or even 31 seconds for that matter) then not even the island itself will be visible during "real time".
Who knows? Maybe pressing the button had something to do with this? Maybe the sky turning purple was the islands way of trying to catch up to real time, until Desmond turned the key? Could this be the reason why Desmond could not sail off the island (it is not that easy to enter back into real time)? Could this be why it takes such a technological device to communicate outside the island? Could this explain Walt's sudden growth? Could this explain Desmond's "seeing the future abilities"? Could this be why you need certain coordinates to enter or leave the island? Is this why babies die on the island? Maybe a child cannot be concieved in a place that is behind the rest of the world?
Please try to expand on this theory if you like (just make sure to reference where it came from). And I apologize if this was already thought of and posted. Like I said, I think this can explain a lot of stuff on the island and I think we can have fun with it.
Theory by Irocz28
I think this is very critical as to why the Losties have not been found yet. Think about it. If the "island time" is always behind "real time" by 31 minutes or so, then it would be impossible to find the wreckage or anything else on the island. If a rescue plane flies over the island after the crash on September 31st at 5:31pm (real time) they would find nothing on the island. Not the survivors. Not the wreck. Nothing. This is because the island time has only reached September 31st at 5:00pm. They have not yet reached or caught up to 5:31pm. They do not exist there yet.
Picture two time lines, one above the other. The "island timeline" has an X marking the date 9/22/2004 at 4:16pm, which is the time and date of the crash. The "Real Timeline" is 31 minutes ahead of that time and has an X marking the spot at 4:47pm. If both these timelines are moving at the same speeds, the X on the island timeline, which contains our Losties, The Others, the plane wreckage, etc., will never catch up to the X on the real timeline. That is why they are not visible to the outside world.
But, if a rescue plane leaves or drops something (like the object the freighter shot), the Losties and "island time" will eventually catch up with it. This can also be the explanation as to why whatever dropped that supply box on the island was not seen by anyone. Because technically it was dropped in the future onto the island. The object then entered "island time" where it gives the Losties and everyone else on the island the chance to "catch up to it".
Depending on how far back it was when "island time" fell behind "real time" this can explain a lot of things on the show. If it goes back far enough, then the others would not have been seen on the island, the original Dharma Initiative would not have been seen on the island, or that giant foot would not have been seen from off the island. This could quite possibly mean that the ISLAND itself does not exist at all if you are viewing 31 minutes in the future.
For example, if "island time" fell behind "real time" on August 1st, 2003, at 1:31pm, then everything would have been seen the same up to that point. But, after that point the real world is seeing the island 31 minutes in the future, when basically nothing has changed because "island time" hasn't caught up to "real time" yet, and probably never will. It will always be 31 minutes behind.
But, if "island time" has always (and i mean Always) been behind "real time" by 31 minutes (or even 31 seconds for that matter) then not even the island itself will be visible during "real time".
Who knows? Maybe pressing the button had something to do with this? Maybe the sky turning purple was the islands way of trying to catch up to real time, until Desmond turned the key? Could this be the reason why Desmond could not sail off the island (it is not that easy to enter back into real time)? Could this be why it takes such a technological device to communicate outside the island? Could this explain Walt's sudden growth? Could this explain Desmond's "seeing the future abilities"? Could this be why you need certain coordinates to enter or leave the island? Is this why babies die on the island? Maybe a child cannot be concieved in a place that is behind the rest of the world?
Please try to expand on this theory if you like (just make sure to reference where it came from). And I apologize if this was already thought of and posted. Like I said, I think this can explain a lot of stuff on the island and I think we can have fun with it.
Theory by Irocz28
