"The end of the world" has been a prevalent theme in the show, specifically because of the numbers: 4 8 15 16 23 42.
They're part of the "Valenzetti Equation," named after a man hired by the Hanso Foundation to determine when and how the world will end. These numbers are the result of his research, and they're said to relate to the exact year, month, and date that the world will end. As a result, the Hanso Foundation creates and funds the Dharma Initiative to continue the research on the numbers and conduct experiments with electromagnetism on the island in order to - some how - change just one of the numbers in the equation, thereby averting the catastrophe.
I believe this "end of the world" prediction is very relevant to either Walt or Desmond.
Let's start with out Scottish brother: His ability to manipulate, and in some cases, alter the flow of time makes him a very powerful threat if he were to ever control this ability. Perhaps, if he was to return to the island, he will be able to - like in The Constant - travel back to his days in the hatch, subconsciously of course, and alter the events of the past. Now, yes...we know - "Whatever happened, happened." But Desmond does not abide by the rules and laws of time travel. Because of his exposure to the electromagnetic radiation, and now his gift of consciousness travel, he stands outside the boundaries of time and space.
If not Desmond, then I believe Walt will be involved. He was always mentioned as being special (like Locke), but with Walt, we never really got to see how special he was because he was gone before we knew it.
However, if you rewatch the one scene in the first season, from the episode "Special," there's a particular moment where a bird crashes into the sliding glass door of his house. Just before this moment, he was shown getting visibly angry, and his tone changed from friendly to almost annoyed. In the online web videos from abc.com, there is another video - not shown in any of the televised episodes - when Walt was a prisoner of the Others. Outside of his holding cell was a pile of dead birds.
I believe Walt, like Desmond, has an untapped ability that he has not yet learned to control. And Walt's ability is quite possibly more deadly than Desmond's; Walt can manipulate the level of magnetic energy in the air, and specifically alter the magnetic fields. This is almost painfully obvious when you realize that birds use the magnetic fields to navigate. Because birds always seem to die around him, especially when he's either angry or afraid, if he were to control this ability...well...he might be able to intentionally use the magnetic radiation of the island however he wants. And if he find out his father died, well...who knows what might happen.
They're part of the "Valenzetti Equation," named after a man hired by the Hanso Foundation to determine when and how the world will end. These numbers are the result of his research, and they're said to relate to the exact year, month, and date that the world will end. As a result, the Hanso Foundation creates and funds the Dharma Initiative to continue the research on the numbers and conduct experiments with electromagnetism on the island in order to - some how - change just one of the numbers in the equation, thereby averting the catastrophe.
I believe this "end of the world" prediction is very relevant to either Walt or Desmond.
Let's start with out Scottish brother: His ability to manipulate, and in some cases, alter the flow of time makes him a very powerful threat if he were to ever control this ability. Perhaps, if he was to return to the island, he will be able to - like in The Constant - travel back to his days in the hatch, subconsciously of course, and alter the events of the past. Now, yes...we know - "Whatever happened, happened." But Desmond does not abide by the rules and laws of time travel. Because of his exposure to the electromagnetic radiation, and now his gift of consciousness travel, he stands outside the boundaries of time and space.
If not Desmond, then I believe Walt will be involved. He was always mentioned as being special (like Locke), but with Walt, we never really got to see how special he was because he was gone before we knew it.
However, if you rewatch the one scene in the first season, from the episode "Special," there's a particular moment where a bird crashes into the sliding glass door of his house. Just before this moment, he was shown getting visibly angry, and his tone changed from friendly to almost annoyed. In the online web videos from abc.com, there is another video - not shown in any of the televised episodes - when Walt was a prisoner of the Others. Outside of his holding cell was a pile of dead birds.
I believe Walt, like Desmond, has an untapped ability that he has not yet learned to control. And Walt's ability is quite possibly more deadly than Desmond's; Walt can manipulate the level of magnetic energy in the air, and specifically alter the magnetic fields. This is almost painfully obvious when you realize that birds use the magnetic fields to navigate. Because birds always seem to die around him, especially when he's either angry or afraid, if he were to control this ability...well...he might be able to intentionally use the magnetic radiation of the island however he wants. And if he find out his father died, well...who knows what might happen.
