Sunday, November 18, 2007

Let's Get Meta...

I usually resist getting "meta" about Lost theorizing. Abstract discussions -- e.g., of which explanations are more faithful to the spirit of the show or what level of complexity the viewing audience will accept -- strike me as pretty pointless. But I've always believed that show would ultimately resemble a Michael Crichton novel (i.e., character driven with a nifty technological premise bordering on science fiction) even before Darlton said as much.

Think of a spectrum of possibilities. On one end is 2001:ASO, the ultimate ambiguous film, explaining almost nothing. On the other is the Matrix trilogy, which explains far too much using long scenes of ponderous explanatory dialogue. Crichton novels are right in the middle, offering complex explanations for the sci-fi elements without allowing them to overshadow the narrative -- just right, as Goldilocks might say. My hope and expectation is that Lost will occupy that same sweet spot...

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

More Black Hole Thoughts...

Lately I've been driving my fellow theorists on the fuselage a little crazy by pushing my micro/mini black hole thesis with an almost missionary zeal. I like to think I'm pretty open-minded, particularly where theories about a fictional TV show are concerned. But the more I learn about micro/mini black holes, the more they strike me as The Explanation for what was going on behind the concrete in Swan -- the science/pseudo-science fits so neatly with clues from the show. To summarize some of the evidence that doesn't appear in my original post:

*Claire described the sky as turning "violet," which could refer to ultra-violet radiation like that released by an evaporating mini black hole.

*The violet/purple sky could also have been an auroral effect (e.g., like Aurora Borealis) caused by such radiation bombarding the atmosphere.

*Such a high-energy radiation burst could also cause an EMP.

*In Not in Portland, Aldo is seen reading a chapter on black holes from A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking.

*Courtesy of Mike NY, this source states that the high energy radiation released by black hole evaporation might cause a visible "hadronic fireball," which could also explain the violet/purple sky. It may just be a coincidence, but this depiction of black hole evaporation from the same source seems to be colored violet.

*Also courtesy of Mike NY, the button might have been linked to some degaussing mechanism. Per the original post, an evaporating black hole could theoretically be stabilized by charging it magnetically. The degaussing may have been required periodically to shrink the black hole down to size or otherwise manage its growth.

*In a deleted scene from Season 3, Hurley compared Desmond's precognition to the Fantastic Four, who gained their powers by exposure to cosmic radiation like that released by an evaporating mini black hole.

*In the film Event Horizon, the ship is powered by a mini black hole and features the line "Liberate te ex inferis" (save yourself from hell) which also appears on the Blast Door Map.