Time Travel answered

[ortrules]

So here we have it, the answer to time travel.

To summarize what Daniel said - time is like a string and you can only go forward or backward on that string, you can't create a new one. And he reiterated what Mrs. Hawking said to Desmond that you can't change the future.

So there are no alternate realities, alternative dimensions, or anything like that. In the case of Lost and the island, time IS linear. You can move around in time, but everything will stay the same.

[XmasDVD]

Here's the same thing from Back to the Future..

http://rebui.ld.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/timeline-jesusphone.jpg

[FredEx919]

Hahaha so does this mean all they need is a flux capacitor to get back to the island??

[XmasDVD]

And a Delorean made of coconuts...

[lostlindy]

Hahaha so does this mean all they need is a flux capacitor to get back to the island??

HAHAHAHA I was gonna mention that! lol

[Jeremy]

Daniel said that the rules don't apply to Desmond for whatever reason, so I'm hoping he meant Desmond could change whatever happens in whatever time he's in. After all, if he hadn't gotten Penny's phone number in the past, he would be dead by now. There wouldn't be a point to time traveling if it isn't going to change anything.

[Brother Desmond]

Daniel said that the rules don't apply to Desmond for whatever reason, so I'm hoping he meant Desmond could change whatever happens in whatever time he's in. After all, if he hadn't gotten Penny's phone number in the past, he would be dead by now. There wouldn't be a point to time traveling if it isn't going to change anything.

I don't think Daniel means for Desmond to change anything. Daniel, (and the show), have stressed that you cannot change the future, and because of the way the Island is skipping, you can't change the past.

What is happening to the Island now is the same thing that happened to Desmond, it is unstuck from time and bouncing all around. I think the Island needs Desmond/the Oceanic 6 back to stop it from skipping, and stabilize it.

[ortrules]

What is happening to the Island now is the same thing that happened to Desmond, it is unstuck from time and bouncing all around. I think the Island needs Desmond/the Oceanic 6 back to stop it from skipping, and stabilize it.

Right. After Daniel did his explanation using the string idea (Lostpedia says he said "street", could be either) I got the impression that because the Oceanic 6 left, they forced a new timeline to be created. Daniel says you can't do that, that you can't change the future - but somehow they managed to. So unless they come back to fix the timeline, the island will keep jumping back and forth until everyone dies and quite possibly, as Doc puts it, "destroy the entire spacetime continuum."

[5starboss]

And a Delorean made of coconuts...

21.1 jigawatts of raw exotic matter to power it...