Pearl Printout Problem
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By AngeloComet
- Pearl Printout Problem
- Created: Apr 4, 2008
- Last updated: Aug 14, 2008
- After episode: 2.23: Live Together, Die Alone
- Status: Current
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Lost cheated!
— AngeloComet
A version of this theory with screencaps that help illustrate the point I am making exists here. http://angelocomets-lost-place.blogspot.com/2008/04/pearl-printout-problem_04.html However, should you feel the need to comment, I would prefer the comments appear here. (Here is better for discussion purposes.)
Probably you couldn’t care less. Probably, if you bother to read this at all, you’ll think to yourself: So what?
See, what I am concerned with here is the printout sheets as taken from The Pearl Station. As you may remember, in the episode ?, Locke and Mr. Eko found the Pearl Station and Locke spotted a computer with a print command, and so pressed print. Reams of paper with numbers on them were produced.
You’re not to know this, but myself and Lojozz spent an unhealthy amount of time staring at screenshots trying to work out what the numbers meant. It turned out we only had to wait a few more episodes, when Live Together, Die Alone appeared, to find out. In that episode Desmond and Locke were determined to allow the Swan Station timer to run down and, whilst waiting, Desmond started getting twitchy and so checked the printout sheets.
The printouts basically display when/if the Swan Station button was pressed. Taking an example we can work out exactly what the numbers mean.
“921041:16 accepted”
This breaks down as: 9/21/04 1:16
Month 9 / Day 21 / Year 04 and the time being 1:16.
So in this example the button in the Swan Station was pressed on 21st September 2004 at 1:16.
From one date and time being accepted on the sheet to the next date and time being accepted we can work out the time difference. So ‘921044:42 accepted’ is followed by ‘921046:40 accepted’. Dates are the same. The times are 4:42 and then 6:40. This just so happens to be a time difference of 108 minutes, which is the elapsed time of the Swan Station timer. Evidence, if more was needed, that the printouts show instances of the timer button being reset.
Happy so far? Because it was from working this out that Desmond was able to realise that his not pressing the button in a timely fashion was responsible for bringing down Oceanic 815 on September 22nd 2004.
‘922044:16 system failure system failure. . .’
At 4:16, Oceanic 815 broke apart into three pieces and crashed down on the Island. This is what the printout sheet tells us. It’s all very clear and concise. So, you may be asking, what is my problem here? Well, let’s go back to the first time we saw the printout sheets in the ? episode.
“41602108:05 accepted”
Taking the applied format - m/dd/yy time - this is what we get:
4/16/02 108:05
Doesn’t make any sense. “108:05” is not a time. Nor does adjusting the month to double digits help. 41/60/21 08:05. It just makes it worse.
Using the principle of the times being apart by 108 minutes there is a format that sort of fits. So we can take 41602072:05 (time 2:05) followed by 41602073:53 (time 3:53) and see that the timebetween the two accords to the 108 minute rule. Which means the format is 4/16/02 (16th April 2002) with an “07” code lumped in for no clear reason, and then the time.
So that’s my problem, basically. That “07” code. In another printout, the extraneous code is “10”, which is equally meaningless, considering it isn’t present in the finished version of the sheet that showed up for Desmond in Live Together, Die Alone.
There’s no getting around it. Lost cheated. It presented a printout of numbers and information in one episode (?) that didn’t make sense with what was later presented (in Live Together, Die Alone). Basically, when Lojozz and I were looking at the sheets, trying to work out what they meant, we were wasting our time. Because we had been cheated. And it wasn’t fair. And that is all.
Probably you couldn’t care less, right?
that sucks AC.
LOL. Thanks for that AC now I’m all wound up again!
I am sure they did it so that we viewers, who tend to analyze and pick apart every single detail fo the show, would not figure out what the numbers on that printout were before they wanted us to know. They played a little game of “I have a secret” and put the numbers in the wrong format to throw us off because they knew we would figure it out. I mean, how hard would it have been to figure out the printout if the numbers had been in the correct format? Wouldnt have taken long for us to recognize that the numbers were in a mm/dd/yy hh:mm format. I agree that it is not fair. What else are they doing that to in the show? We are coming up with wild theories only to have pertinent information changed on us when “they” decide it is time for the information to be revealed and we are at their mercy because we LOVE the torture. Haha!! +1 for an awesome catch!! (as always)
No, I care. But i want to know i wasn’t cheated.
AC, LOL You just told Five in his theory that he had way too much time on his hands! Time to boil that kettle, me thinks!
Interesting find, I do like the details. Do you think that you and Lojozz can solve the mystery of the equation?? Or something pertaining to it’s meaning perhaps. Now, that would be exciting!
Maybe the 07 and 10 are times when someone tried to enter the code early. Like 7 minutes or 10 minutes early. Just a guess, though.
I was wondering if the time that is printed is the time of day. If it is the time of day and it’s not specified am or pm, usually it’s printed as ‘military’ time. But at 4:16 ‘military’ time it would have been dark outside. It wasn’t dark when the plane crashed.
Fair point, Dab. (Though I did say Five should stop thinking about Lost for a while - not that she (I think Five’s a she) had too much time on her hands!)
I have been sitting on this printout frustration for a couple of years now. Like the electromagnetism in the Swan Station, it had to be vented!
And regarding LJ and I sitting around thinking about the equation… Trust me. We’ve been there. Heavily. But so has everyone. I don’t think that’s uncommon. Probably what’s uncommon is noticing the one and only instance Desmond used the space bar between entering the numbers into the computer, or being drunk in the middle of a Lost marathon session and coming to a certain realisation that Jin and Sun were the intended adoptive parents of Claire’s unborn baby… That’s when it’s time to back away from Lost and go and integrate into society.
Yeah good point dab re AC!
Thats the third time someone has referred to me as a man, I am most definitely a woman. Do I come across all masculine?
+1 for the post by the way!
Five, Sorry I knew that you were female. I must have been obsessed with AC at the moment. (just not in the way he thinks) He does like to pick on the ladies!! And, it is my job to pick on AC. LOL
AC, I had to make that point with you!! What is good for the goose, is good for the gander! And, my comments were in fact genuine, and not in anyway to denigrate your efforts. Glad there are dedicated people to figure the fine points out!
I’ve been away from the pub for a bit. Wifey’s been on some trip as to how I always come home late wreaking of Dharma beer and something about a girl named Juliet calling relentlessly.
Nah baby… that’s just my buddy Julien. He needs to vent… I must’ve fat-fingered the spelling on my sidekick.
Ok… there was that and also my pending court case for verbally murdering some clown that calls himself Luv2Hate or something like that. Hey, if the glove does not fit… you must acquit!
Gotta love technicalities…
Anyhow, I was able to get away for a bit and returned to my favorite bar in this space-time continuem. Open the door and what do I find? One of the original and true bartenders of this fine establishment we call LostTheories. Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name…
What’s good ya’ll!?!?
I see you over there Ozz… how ya been?
Dabs… it’s been a minute! Lookin’ good girl…
AC! Hit me up with a pint of your finest brother! Let’s get this party crackin’!
Man… AC who are those little kids over there speaking garbage? Has my watering hole fallen so far that delinquents are now swigging my brew? Sad…
time lapses
Well… zat wasss ah great cheory broverrr…
Juz one murr pleashe! Plush one +1
Cut off?!?!
I reary am not reary even drunks…
Call Juviet fur me pleashe…
AC….I will take a double this evening…and keep em’ coming.! Oh wait….I have to go to soccer practice & then to a bubbles the clown party….let the good times roll. Thank god for my crackberry & my little pitcher of margaritas….shhhhhhh.
good spot old chap!
Methinks if you keep this up though, you may suffer the same fate as Kat & Prof.O… i.e. Widmore Industries will do ‘An Inquisitor’ (Red Dwarf) on you and remove you from existence.
I hope not, keep up the good posts man. +1
My ears were burning…. Well, I would join for a drink, but unfortunately I already had this months quota the other night, But I’ll be glad to watch anyone else get drunk. It’s always entertaining.
Hi Solar, MasterLocke and Ozz! Friday night Cheers! I just cracked myself a “frostie”, so I raise my bottle to you!
Thanks Ozz for not partaking tonight. It’s my turn for some drunk typing! LOL
ah beer
I care. Long ago I checked Lostpedia for info on the printout and I felt duped when it appeared that the printout was changed.
I chalk it up to prop error, and probably not intentional. There is some convincing evidence that base60 time being used in the numbers.
Someone also pointed out on Lostpedia that:
Apple II computers were not programmed with timestamps up to years. The printout only shows the month and day-of-the-week. The year is not programmed in.
I agree… any which way you slice this pie, you come up 1 piece short. :)
sorry to hijack your post AC but I drunkenly thought this would bea good time to say ‘down the hatch’ to me drinking buddy Dabnicity of the ness!
but some part of me subconscious was shouting “don’t mention the hatch! I think I got away with it once!!….” LOL! Basil Fawlty rocks. All non .UK users, you got to check out Basil fawlty.
20 bottles of stella for £7.99 in the offy on the corner it’s got to be the best after-the-budget deal i have found. AC I hope you wil let me know what you think that thing is in Mikhails hand man. Cheers.
Solar got to love those deals on the stella just don’t mention the war
Solar My Chap, By the time you read this you will be nursing your bloody good hangover, whilst your drinking buddy here in Canada is still asleep!
Nobody is funnier than Basil. The Brits all have a good sense of humour. I do wonder what happened to AC though?? As a scientist, perhaps you can answer this DNA mystery/aberration.
If it is the last thing I do, I intend to force humour from AC, or he will end up sucking his “bangers and mash” out of a straw eventually, I’m afraid! LOL
Lojozz, Definitely not a good idea to bring up the war! Consider the only war, between me and AC. LOL
AC, Do say hello to the Queen! LOL I’m in the bag, what can I say! Hope you see the humour and light in which it was intended. It’s all good! Peace Out!
Bloody hell… I leave the room for a little while and return to find someone turned the place into a pub, staged a party and trashed the joint! You swines!
Solar - I created this zone http://www.angelocomets-lost-place.blogspot.com/ as my back-up should anyone try to vapourise me from lost-theories. We can call it my ‘escape hatch’. (And I love how my ‘hatch’ neuroses has permeated at least some quarters of this site indelibly!)
I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about regarding what’s in Mikhail’s hand. Last time I looked, it was a grenade!
Dab - I doubt I’m anywhere near as serious as you think I am… but I’ll let you keep on thinking it anyway!
This is another example of the problem of trying to read too much into what we seen on screen in this series. This is because
1) The writers are of a literary background, not scientific.
2) The series generates excitement by positing that things are happening which are scientifically and/or logically impossible. Because of that, applying science or logic to the every nuance is sure to result in disappointment.
3) The writers can and have excercised their creative license and changed course several times in the series, making any sort of overarching theory or prediction exceedingly difficult to nail down.
4) It all boils down to: it’s just a TV show. A very good one, but one that is imagined, not documented.
PS-Fnally, nobody was “cheated”, because, I mean, how much did you pay to see a TV show that is broadcast for free over the public airwaves?
Case dimissed.
:-)
lojozz I “won’t mention the war…….. but they started it by invading Poland” LOL
Dabs, how right you were….ouch…never again and all that LOL! I have watched “The Germans” & “The hotel Inspectors” in bed this morning and I have beee SLMAO!
Whats the dna/aberation mystery with AC? my hungover mind is trying to find cryptic messages in it LOL! so what is cooking there? this time there probably WAS a cryptic thing and i have probably missed it!
AC that blog site of yours is wikid guy, this site could take a leaf out of your book (well…..site!) presentation wise, i found yours rather pleasing on the eye and when I came back to this one, it seemed a bit gaudy!
I will be checking that out from now on & have added it to me faves on me pc. good job
Veefre
Good thoughts.
You’ve explained why there is no need for websites like this and others. We should simply enjoy the show for what it is… fiction made up by a bunch of Star Wars fans who probably read too many Stephen King novels. Thankfully, I can relax and go catch up on the seven seasons of MacGyver on DVD. Now THAT was a realistic television show… thank the Lord for Richard Dean Anderson.
The thing that always bothered me is that they obviously crash landed at 4:16 PM, as the sun was out, yet the printout simply shows the time as “4:16.” If an “AM” or “PM” is not given, shouldn’t a computer printout use “military time,” reading “16:16” instead? If I was reading that printout later, I would assume the system failure happened at 4:16 in the morning.
AC, Sorry for trashing the place! Thanks for being such a good sport about it though. It does perplex me, that you intend to allow me to think you have no sense of humour, which would indicate you want me to continue torturing you! Twist my arm then! LOL
Solar, The strangest thing! I saw the same things as you! It got better too! BTW, you are the scientist, so I will leave that mystery for you to solve! I would love to hear the answer if you eventually find it. So would the rest of your countrymen, no doubt! LOL
Angelo, finally had the time to go over to your site to read and ‘see’ your theory. Sorry it took so long! Yes, I guess after all the work that Lojozz and you put in, you should feel cheated. Obviously the printouts were changed when they suited the plot. +1 for your hard work, you can share that one with Lojozz. :)