The Science Behind The Show

Each week after an episode of LOST airs, Popular Mechanics publishes an article on its website decoding the various sciences and technologies featured in the episode.

This week's article focuses on the scientific facts behind the episode's "Jughead" hydrogen bomb.

The article reveals a historical basis for the episode's events:

"A series of thermonuclear weapon tests that took place on the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific in the 1950s was called "Operation Castle." The first attempt at a dry-fuel thermonuclear hydrogen bomb device, an operation called "Castle Bravo," was successfully detonated on March 1, 1954 at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Because of Castle Bravo's early success, a second type of nuclear weapon, a cryogenic hydrogen bomb, was not tested. That group included a cryogenic h-bomb nicknamed, that's right, "Jughead." "

Nuclear bomb expert Ivan Oelrich, vice president for the strategic security program at the Federation of American Scientists, also elaborates on Faraday's suggestion for handling the bomb:

"As Faraday suggested, burying the disabled bomb underground in a lead or cement housing would contain any radiation the bomb might be emitting now or in the future. Eventually, however, the plutonium could leak into the ground water, and since it will be dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years and concrete might last hundreds, burying the bomb would not be a permanent solution."

 The complete Popular Mechanics article can be found here.

5.03 "Jughead" Thoughts and Theories

LOST is a show unprecedented in its writer's and producer's decision to end the show at the end of its sixth season in May 2010.  Since this end-date was announced, the show's storylines have tightened up, and Wednesday's episode, "Jughead," clearly showed how the pieces of the complex LOST puzzle are finally coming together.

The episode focused on Desmond's quest to find Daniel Faraday's mother, who is the key to stopping the island's erratic flashes through time.  We also got revealing glimpses of what is happening to those left on the island, which has been sent back to 1954.  We learn that "Jones" captured by Sawyer, Juliet, and Locke last week is in fact a young Charles Widmore.  We also meet a young British woman on the 1954-island named Ellie.  She comments on the fact that Daniel keeps staring at her, and he says that she looks familiar.  I believe we have seen her in the show before, only slightly older (compare pictures below).

Ellie: 1954

Eloise Hawking: 2007

I think that it is safe to say that Ellie is in fact Eloise Hawking and Daniel's mother. From episode 5.02, we learn that Ms. Hawking is in Los Angeles helping Ben get the Oceanic 6 back to the island.  From this week's episode, we also learn that Faraday's mother is also in LA. 

Next week's episode, titled "The Little Prince," will hopefully shed some more light on this question.  With only 31 hours of the show left, fans of the series are in for a bittersweet and exciting ride!

Favorites LOST Scenes, Part Two

7. System Failure
- Intense and emotional, this scene from the final episode of season two shows what happens when the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 do not push the button in the hatch every 108 minutes.  I love the part of this scene with Desmond and Penny, right before he turns the failsafe key.  The ending of this scene was also one of the first clearly sci-fi elements of the series.

8. Close Your Eyes, Freckles
- Again, this is a scene (from season three, episode six "I Do") that I rarely see on any lists of top scenes from LOST, but I think it is great because of its acting, editing, and level of intensity.  

9. James Confronts the Real Sawyer
- In this scene (from season three, episode nineteen "The Brig"), James (aka Sawyer) confronts the man that ruined his life.  Oh yeah, and he just happens to be Locke's father.  This scene marked a huge transformation in his character and proved to be a satisfying ending to his backstory.

10. Charlie’s Sacrifice
- Charlie was my favorite character in the series, and I was sad to see him go in this scene from season three's final episode "Through the Looking Glass."
 
11. We Have To Go Back!
- This scene, also from "Through the Looking Glass," is one of the most shocking TV season finales of all time.  For three seasons, LOST's audience was given the backstories of the characters  through flashbacks in each episode.  For this entire episode, the audience was led to believe that they were once again getting another Jack flashback, but this final scene revealed that it was actually a flashforward and that at least Jack and Kate somehow get off the island!
  
12. Desmond Calls Penny
- Thought by many LOST fans as the greatest scene from the greatest episode of the television ever made, this scene from season four episode five, "The Constant" brought a great deal of emotion weight to an episode that is largely known for its heavy dose of sci-fi elements.  The editing, particularly the intercutting of the phone conversation, is amazing, and the acting and music bring this scene to level higher than that typically found on network television. 

Tonight, season five, episode three "Jughead" airs at 9/8c on ABC.  I hope to post some of my thoughts on this episode in my next post.  See you then!

Favorite LOST Scenes, Part One

These scenes are in order they appeared in the show (click to the links to view the scenes on youtube):

1. I Shot A Bear!

- This scene from the pilot episode of the series.  A couple of lines from this scene make me laugh everytime I watch it.  The irony of the scene, besides the polar bear in the jungle, is that the group decides to give the gun to Kate, the person who is actually the fugitive that the U.S. marshal was taking back to the states.

2. Distress Signal

- This scene takes place shortly after the polar bear scene and is the final scene of the pilot episode.  The acting, editing, and suspense in this scene hooked me and made me want to watch more.

3. Walkabout
- This scene is from the fourth episode of season one, "Walkabout."  The episode is a Locke-centric episode that features one of the most memorable ane emotional scenes from the series.  The music in this scene gets to me everytime.  This scene reveals why Locke believes that the island is a place where miracles happen.

4. Sawyer met Jack’s Dad
- I have viewed many other top LOST scene lists from fans, and they never have this scene (from season one, episode 23, "Exodus") on them, but I think that it is great.  Jack is about to leave to get dynamite from deep in the jungle, and Sawyer is about to leave the island on a raft in search of help.  It is presumably the last time the two rivals will see each other, and Sawyer decides to share an encounter he had in the past.  Sawyer met Jack's dad in Australia before he died.  Jack went to Sydney to get his father's body, and he and Sawyer, strangers at the time, were flying back to the states on the same plane.  The acting in this scene is great.

5. Exodus Ending
- This scene, also from the episode titled "Exodus," is the very last scene of season one.  Looking back at the characters originally getting to the plane is a poignant moment for fans of the series.  The final moment of the scene, after the castaways use dynamite to blow open a hatch they found in the ground, left fans of the series, including me, in suspense for five long months before season two premiered as to what was down in that hatch.

6. I'm Sorry 
- This scene from the season two episode, "Two for the Road" shocked fans of the series.  Micheal's decision to kill in order to get his son back changed many fans' opinions of him.

More scenes coming soon in my next post!

First LOST Blog

Hi, my name is Zack Vos, and this is my first blog post!  This blog will focus for the most part on the TV show LOST on ABC, but will also feature the occassional review or discussion on films, video games, or gadgets.  

LOST has been my favorite TV show since it premiered on September 22nd, 2004.  It is serialized drama that recently began its fifth season last Wednesday, January 21st.  It is about the survivors of a plane crash stranded on a mysterious tropical island.  

What makes LOST great is not only the show itself, but also the fan response and interaction that it inspires.  LOST's addictive storylines and mysteries encourage fans to constantly discuss, speculate, and theorize about the show and on what is happening.  Due to the heavily serialized nature of the show, many viewers that tune in for the occassional episode every now and then are often confused by the show's complex storylines.  LOST is a show that is best viewed from its beginning.  If you are interested in checking out the show, every episode from the entire series can be view for free here on ABC.com.

My next post will feature video links to some of my favor scenes from the series.  More information on the show can be found at the following links:

LOST's wikipedia page

LOSTpedia.com