This is one of Lost’s biggest mysteries: What do the numbers 4 8 15 16 23 42 mean?

Between 2004 and 2010, the TV series Lost captivated millions of viewers around the world! Fans have never stopped theorizing all sorts of mysteries, from the existence of a polar bear to the mystery of the statue to the 4 fingers, including the role of Jacob’s character.

One puzzle to manage them

However, while these questions have sparked many debates, one mystery has emerged in people’s minds, the famous series of numbers 4 8 15 16 23 42. These numbers first appeared in Lost Season 1 Episode 18: “The Law of Numbers”.

In the story, we are told that Harley (Hugo Reiss) played this series of numbers in the lottery, which allowed him to win millions of dollars in the lottery. These numbers, which were whispered to the hero Leonard, his roommate in the mental asylum, then brought trouble to him and his relatives. They return throughout the series, much to Harley’s surprise, especially at the end of the first season. They will appear on the hatch of the bunker, which is called a swan.

In Season 2 Episode 3, we learned that Desmond was responsible for typing this series of numbers into the station’s computer every 108 minutes to prevent the end of the world. Originally, it was a laboratory for the Dharma Project to study the special electromagnetic vibrations emanating from this sector of the island.

Avoid the apocalypse

After the incident, Desmond and a teammate were tasked with dialing numbers every 108 minutes for 540 consecutive days. This discovery especially divides Jack and Locke: the first believes that scientists have set up a simple psychological experiment. John Locke, on the other hand, is convinced that the instructions given in the Dharma should be strictly followed.

In 2006, the real meaning of these numbers was given in the game “lost experience”. This game was created by the writers and producers of Lost to engage fans in expanding the series’ narrative and mythology. Thus, Alwar Hanso explains it himself in a Dharma Initiative video titled “Video from Sri Lanka”.

numbers and letters

The numbers 4 8 15 16 23 42 represent the Valenzetti equation. It is a mathematical formula that aims to determine the time remaining before the extinction of mankind. This is the result of the work of the Italian mathematician Enzo Valencetti. A study commissioned by the United Nations in 1962 revealed this equation. The latter is based on Egyptian hieroglyphs, each of which is represented by a single number.

Video by Alvar Hanso

In this video, Hanso points out that the purpose of this research is to save the Earth. “In 1962, the world was on the brink of nuclear war. The United States and the Soviet Union promised mutually assured destruction. A promise they continued to make during the destructive Cold War.”Hanso explained.

“After the Cuban Missile Crisis, the two nations decided to find a solution. The result was the Valenzatti Equation. Commissioned in great secrecy by the UN Security Council, the equation is the result of the work of Italian mathematician Enzo Valenzatti. It predicts an exact number. The years and months remaining before humanity’s extinction, whether by nuclear attack , chemical and biological warfare, conventional warfare, With a pandemic. Overpopulation… its consequences are terrifying and we must pay attention to that.”he warned.

“Valencetti in his equation gave numerical values ​​to the fundamental environmental and human factors: 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42. Only by manipulating the environment, with a scientific solution to all our problems, can we change this fundamental. factors and give humanity a chance to survive”Hanso explained.

Therefore, the mission of the Dharma Initiative was to prevent the apocalypse. When the project failed, the president of the Hanso Foundation, Dr. Thomas Mittelwerk, made another radical decision to save humanity: to destroy a third of the world’s population! To achieve this, he tested in two villages the inoculation of the virus, which is fatal for only 30% of those infected.

between science and spirituality

“These are the numbers that brought me here, and it looks like they brought you, too.”Russo told Harley. We later learn that Jacob assigned these numbers to the last 6 candidates nominated to replace him as protector of the island.

Thus, these numbers indicated the angle at which the lighthouse mirrors needed to be turned to observe the candidates: 4 for John Locke, 8 for Harley, 15 for Sawyer, 16 for Sayid, 23 for Jack, and 42 for Genie. the sun Thus, Jacob would find himself at the head of a study of numbers aimed at saving the world and protecting the island from the black smoke monster.

This opening, left by the showrunners, is appealing because it gives the viewer a choice: if you trust science more, the Valenzetti equation will suffice. However, if you subscribe to a supernatural and spiritual explanation, the theory that Jacob is a number maker will blow your mind.

And we can rely on the final argument to confirm this. If we add all the numbers, it gives 108. It is a sacred number in several Eastern religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism or various forms of Buddhism. This association is seen as the ultimate reality of the universe.