I was of the school that the extra time, left over during the last 4 minutes of the 108 minute count down, would be accounted for while waiting for 108:00 to change to 107:00. In this episode we finally see the time flip to 107:00.
Eko pushes execute with about 3:36 left on the counter.
If the timer waits 3:36, then 108 minutes will be complete.
1:21 screen time elapses before the 107:00.
This is longer than 1 minute.
On TV shows other then 24, time is usually compressed.
Does this support my theory?

I was of the school that the extra time, left over during the last 4 minutes of the 108 minute count down, would be accounted for while waiting for 108:00 to change to 107:00. In this episode we finally see the time flip to 107:00.
Eko pushes execute with about 3:36 left on the counter.
If the timer waits 3:36, then 108 minutes will be complete.
1:21 screen time elapses before the 107:00.
This is longer than 1 minute.
On TV shows other then 24, time is usually compressed.
Does this support my theory?
Um.... Say what?

Um...maybe it just flipped to 107 just because that's what the camera shot.

Um.... Say what?

I second that.

Um...maybe it just flipped to 107 just because that's what the camera shot.

And yeah, that too.

Loop dude, loop.

I was thinking the exact same thing, and I was hoping somebody would time how long it took before flipping to 107. So it was 1:21, eh?

The thing is, I don't remember any cut in that scene during which time could have been compressed. But I have no explanation for how those extra minutes are accounted for, especially in light of the printout from the Pearl.

I would say this scene was not difinitive either way, and actually further confuses the issue.

you guys are silly people

just because you timed it taking 1:21

doesn't mean you're right

its a tv show

not to mention thebestfreakingtvshowEVER!

to me it doesn't matter that 1 minute on the timer doesn't equal 1 minute in the scene, its just a tiny screw up silly people (who i love for the depth of they're analysis) don't realize is just a tv show being a tv show.

to me it doesn't matter that 1 minute on the timer doesn't equal 1 minute in the scene, its just a tiny screw up silly people

That's not the point.


Someone in the Swan is supposed to enter the numbers approximately every 108 minutes. With 4 minutes left on the timer, an alarm begins to sound and the prompt becomes active so you can enter the numbers.

The printed log from the Pearl seems to be a series of 108 minute increments, with each increment followed by "accepted." One would assume this log is recording each time the numbers are entered and accepted in the Swan hatch.

The thing is, you have 4 minutes during which to enter the numbers. At that point the timer immediately flips back to 108. It has been theorized that perhaps when the timer flips back to 108, it will not flip to 107 until the time that was left over when the numbers were entered has passed, in addition to the minute of time between 108 and 107.

In "Three Minutes" Eko pushes execute with 3:36 left on the counter, and it immediately flips back to 108. If the above theory holds, it should then take 4 minutes and 36 seconds before the timer flips to 107. In this case it apparently took about 1 minute and 21 seconds.

This would lead me to believe that the creative powers were trying to show approximately 1 minute pass before the timer flips to 107, and they overshot it a little bit. But if that's the case, why doesn't the Pearl log show increments of 105...106...104...107...etc...?

^ AH, good point, i see why this may be an issue now. But perhaps the log shows the fact that it has been pushed, and just rounds it up to 108 minutes.

OR

Perhaps the log prints out in exactly 108 minute increments whether or not the button was pushed a couple minutes before that. Those are my theories anyways.

And this is important, WHY??

There's a really boring endless thread here about the log that was found in the Pearl Hatch. Which by the way I read through, cause it has been stated by the producers that the log is significant, so I'm not bashing the thread but the discussion gets out of hand at times.

One point someone made was that maybe it recorded the 108 minute cycles, and whether or not the numbers were entered, not neccessarily the timing of the push.

Perhaps the log prints out in exactly 108 increments whether or not the button was pushed a couple minutes before that. Those are my theories anyways.

Hmmm. You'd think that those manning the Pearl station would notice or wonder about it... of course we don't really know who had access to printing all the information out. The orientation video just told them to record what they see on the screens in the notebooks - I don't remember anything about printing logs. It's not like they were told in the orientation video what the "psychological experiment" was, just that one was being conducted.

But then, this brings us full circle to: If those manning the Pearl station weren't even supposed to know about the experiment and the 108 minutes and the printouts, what would be the point of having to round up? Unless there are even more levels of experiments, i.e. the Pearl people are part of an experiment, and those watching the Pearl people are also part of the experiment if the printouts are for them.

Ugh my head is going to explode, I hate the button so much and...
...hope that promo is true when Locke destroys that darn computer!!!! :mad:

And this is important, WHY??
It's not. It is only a TV show.

And this is important, WHY??

It's not. It is only a TV show.

And you guys are reading and responding to a thread on The Fuselage called "Timer flipped to 107:00 on camera" why?

I'm the first to admit there's a lot of time and space here that's wasted on smokey sightings and the signifigance of random props and minor continuity errors, but to me this actually seems like one of the more interesting and valid questions.

the Pearl people are part of an experiment, So compare instructions for the Pearl People to instructions for the Swan People. They are assigned a repetitive task but they don't need to know the reason the task is important and they are told it is vital that they do the task. Plus as I remember there was a camera on the wall of the Pearl.

Swan - Pearl
1. reset the clock - keep the log
2, Why doesn't matter
3. But it is vital that the task be done
4. Oh look they are both on Candid Camera, Dharma Edition.

Now why would we suspect the Pearl People were also experimental subjects? :confused:

It's not...

God I hope the timer runs out on Wednesday.

Wow @ all the negativity here. Come on, folks, all these theories and speculations are all just in good fun!

I can sort of understand the confusion about the importance when it comes to "TV time" i.e. what does 1:21 translate to in "real time," but obviously the timer and its flips are important to the overall story of the show, considering they've been dealing with it all season! Not to mention (as stated earlier in the thread), it's been said that the printouts are very important.

And, as many theories here have speculated, the printouts suggest that something is recorded every 108 minutes, which is exactly the time for the countdown, and considering the Pearl is monitering the Swan, one can only assume that the two are related. ..... Unless of course there is another station we weren't able to see on the moniters that also has a task to do every 108 minutes.

Hmmm. You'd think that those manning the Pearl station would notice or wonder about it... of course we don't really know who had access to printing all the information out. The orientation video just told them to record what they see on the screens in the notebooks - I don't remember anything about printing logs. It's not like they were told in the orientation video what the "psychological experiment" was, just that one was being conducted.

But then, this brings us full circle to: If those manning the Pearl station weren't even supposed to know about the experiment and the 108 minutes and the printouts, what would be the point of having to round up? Unless there are even more levels of experiments, i.e. the Pearl people are part of an experiment, and those watching the Pearl people are also part of the experiment if the printouts are for them.

Ugh my head is going to explode, I hate the button so much and...
...hope that promo is true when Locke destroys that darn computer!!!! :mad:

I thought about my idea, about the log printing every 108 mins regardless of when the button was pushed, and realised that cant be the case... if that were to occur than eventually after countless times the button was pushed, and the log was printed, the two counters would get out of sync with each other. eventually the timer in the Swan hatch would be hours ahead of the printer.... so that theory is out the door, but still u r right to question the importance of the print outs... they werent told to do anything with them, so maybe its not meant for the people in the Pearl Hatch, but perhaps the people who bring the new recorders (assuming there were any) and they take the logs with them???

Doesnt make sense at all...

1:21??? I was watching and I thought "hey! they showed it flip to 107! that seems like a minute to me!! but now you guys say it's 1:21!!! aaarrg!! this could be llike whenever someone on TV lights a cigarette they always say 2 lines then take one drag and put the cigarette out. Waste of money! who takes one drag off a cig?? it's crazy tv time! all rules out the window! so now i didn't learn anything!!

My original thought was that this was the first time we have seen the timer flip to 107:00 and my hope was this would be the opportunity for the creators to explain the timer 108 minute/ actual time discrepancy. They have probably become aware of it, but their reply would probablybe something like: "No, this is more visual. We need to see the numbers flipping.I need to show the count down to accentuate Charlie's line. Don't worry about it. No one will be thinking about that."
That is what usually happens on TV shows.

I think the timer flipped over when it did because it made good TV to show it flip just as Charlie was mentioning the time, bringing focus to what he was talking about...and I think the log had 108 minute increments just so you could easily relate it to the button pushing.