What we know

When thinking about the theories of Lost we have to access just exactly what it is we know already. Don't think in terms of conspiracy, just straight forward thinking. Here is what we know already...

• The Others have been on the island all their life, or at least Ben (Henry Gale) says he has. (Except for Juliet, Tom and possibly Ethan.)
• The hatch and the button controlled some sort of electronic magnetic power - and it was its release that caused flight 815 to crash on the island.
• There is more than one hatch and they are all connected.
• The Pearl hatch was used as a psychological experiment, and the Dharma Initiative seemed to have carried out many experiments here with Jack, Sawyer and Kate being held at a zoology centre (shark tank and bear cage)
• This explains the polar bears - which are the most intelligent form of bear - and why they were possibly used.
• Someone, somewhere in the real world knows that there are people on the island - otherwise where are the supply drops coming from?
• The island does seem to have some healing powers, and maybe there is a tie to the vaccine that is discussed. Maybe that is why Rosseau's people got sick and the 815 survivors have not, and Desmond did not.
• At the village where the others stayed, there appeared to be no kids, possibly why they have an interest in Walt and Claire's Baby. They need a way to keep thier society going. Maybe they tested Walt because they only want smart kids, so they can build the perfect society?
• Juliet is a fertility Doctor who came to the island only after her Ex-husband died, maybe the Others are all sterile and need help having chlidren; the X-ray that she was shown by the representative, could that have been Collette or one of the Others?
• The island seems to have been inhabited for a while, long before "The Others" or the Dharma Initiative - we know this from four-toed foot statue, skeletons in the in the caves and the old ship that washed ashore.
• The characters seem are intertwined and have many connections to one and other; however, could it just be coincidence? (For instance Ben said he thought it was miraculous that a spinal surgeon fell out of the sky three days after he found out he had a tumor on his spine.)

What we don't know

When we take into account all these things we know for a FACT, we straight away shoot down many of the theories. However, the theory of the show must evolve around what we don't know. Here is a list of what we don't know that could be vital to the main plot of the show...

• How did the each of Others come to be on the island? What is their relationship to the Dharma Initiative? If they have access to the outside world why don't they leave?
• What was the purpose of the Dharma Initiative, why did they choose this island, and what happened to their experiments? Are all of the others scientists and doctors?
• What is the explanation behind the four-toed foot- that is part of a statue?
• Why was Des unable to sail away from the island?
• Was the submarine their contact to the outside world?
• How did the ship get up a hill? Has the island risen? (We know the beach is rapidly washing away)
• What is the significance of Walt? Is it that he was just a kid, or is it something specific to him? Did it have anything to do with the fact that he seems to be able to make stuff happen?
• What happened to the people in the cave? (skeletons 'Adam and Eve')
• How did a plane that was flying from Nigeria manage to find its way onto the South Pacific island? (drug plane)
• What is the reason behind the electro-magnetism on the island? Is it housing for a nuclear warhead? (and if that is what exploded, why are they not feeling the effects of radiation?)
• What is it about the island that seems to cure people?
• How did all the animals escape from the hatches/cages/tanks? (Polar Bear, Shark) Were they let go because the experiments were done, or could not be carried on?
• What is the smoke monster? Is it a security thing?
• How did Pennelope (Des' girlfriend) know what to look for in finding the island? How long will it take her to get to Des and everyone else?
• Who is Jacob, does he direct Ben? Ben was able to supercede Isabell.

And there are others too. But the whole principle of Lost is to theorize about it, where in truth I suspect it's just a very unusual story, where everything has logical explanations. The whole questions after question set-up has caused people to get carried away. Try and stay on top of the questions and the facts, because no doubt before the end of the series we will have had a few answered and many more posed.

In the end, I think they will get off the Island and go home to reveal the truth of this secret island and everything fascinating that goes with it - the Dharma Initiative, The Others, Electro-magnetism, Polar Bears, Smoke Monsters, etc. Are these questions not enough? Why must there be an unbelievable conspiracy to it all?

Or when they go home, will they be so glad to get away from the horrors of the Island that they will tell no one and will try to just pick up where they left off and continue on with life?