Polar bears/Theories
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Genetic manipulation
Theory 1: The Polar Bears were genetically manipulated to survive in the tropical temperature of the Island
Evidence:
- Polar bears could not survive the temperatures on the island unless they were somehow modified, otherwise they overheat at 50 degrees Fahrenheit [1]
- The Blast Door reads: STATED GOAL, REPATRIATION ACCELERATED DE-TERRITORIALIZATION OF URSUS MARITIMUS THROUGH GENE THERAPY AND EXTREME CLIMATE CHANGE. This may mean that the polar bears were being changed physically so that they could live in the warm climate of the island, which ties the bears into the larger picture of the DHARMA Initiative.
- In "A Tale of Two Cities" Sawyer, Kate, and Karl are caged in what are likely bear enclosures. Tom, the other, refers to the amount of time it took "the bears" to receive food in the form of a fish biscuit from what Sawyer refers to as "the gizmo."
- The Valenzetti Equation was supposed to predict the end of mankind. One of the factors it considered was the effect of climate change on life, which could, at least in theory, cause the end of mankind. The DHARMA Initiative seeks to alter the Valenzetti Equation by changing one of its factors. If the DHARMA Initiative can enable life (in this case, polar bears, who normally overheat and die in temperatures above 50 degrees F., since they do not shed their coat in the summer) to adapt to warmer climates than it is used to, that means they (DHARMA) have possibly altered one of the variables in the equation, thereby fulfilling one of the goals of the DHARMA Initiative. The bear research could then be used to enable humans to adapt to similar changes.
- The blast door map has "Polar bear testing facility" written on it. Suggesting that DHARMA was testing polar bears and they subsequently escaped to roam the Island.
- The polar bears survived the purge in 1992.
- There is an entrance portal on the North Pole that was incidentally discovered by the bears that caused DHARMA to research climate adaptation.(one of many "special places" mentioned by Ms. Hawking)
Counter-evidence:
- Actually reading that blast door text it looks to me not like they were trying to make polar bears survive extreme climates, but it was the extreme climate (as well as gene therapy) that was used to modify the bears. The goal of this would be that the polar bears would behave less aggressive and territorial.
- Counter-theory: In the Sri Lanka Video, Mittelwerk stated the DHARMA Initiative failed, and the factors had not been changed.
- What the DHARMA Initiative wanted was to change one of Valenzetti Equation's factors. Maybe these factors on the island differ, so what they were studying was actually the island itself.
- do a little actual scientific research on Polar bears Polar Bears are possibly the fastest evolving species. he oldest known polar bear fossil is less than 100,000 years old. why was a population of brown bears so quickly able to adapt many(not just white fur) beneficial mutations to survive in a new environment when so many other species develop zero beneficial mutations and go extinct due to climactic change. if the DI's purpose is the change the variables of the Valenzetti equation and save the world. I think part of that would be unlocking whatever adaptable evolutionary secrete is in polar bears and see if there is a way for humans to evolve faster and survive coming climactic and environmental changes. and clearly there is something to it because somehow those bears they brought to the island have no trouble surviving in a tropical climate.
Polar Bears and the Frozen Donkey Wheel
- The polar bears are there only to move The Frozen Donkey Wheel. They trained them on the smaller island to solve complicated puzzles, so it is feasible that they could train them to push the wheel as well.
- This seems like too much trouble. Yes it is cold in the wheel room, but to have to genetically alter polar bears just so that they can turn the wheel seems a bit excessive. There must have been an easier way to do it.
- They wouldn't have needed go to the 'trouble' of genetically modify the bears in order to train them to solve complicated puzzles.
- This seems like too much trouble. Yes it is cold in the wheel room, but to have to genetically alter polar bears just so that they can turn the wheel seems a bit excessive. There must have been an easier way to do it.
Ben said that whoever moves the island can never come back, so the polar bears are there so that no one has to be banished if the island moves. When organic matter moves the wheel it gets transported to Tunisia, where both Ben and a DHARMA polar bear were moved.
- This is the most viable justification for the polar bears. They are also able to withstand the cold temperatures and are strong enough to move the wheel.
- This would propose that the Island has been moved multiple times with Ben at the helm. "Whoever moves the Island is not allowed to come back" seems to reference a person.
- Clearly Ben found a way to come back since he left the Island (as has Richard, although not by moving the wheel) and returned. Ben came back to the present time via the plane. He could not be shot as a kid and present as an adult "what happened, happened." He did not die, but at that moment learned of the island's ability to raise the dead.
- The cave stemming from the Orchid has just one entrance and exit, a narrow passageway just big enough for an adult, with a flimsy ladder leading down into the wheel chamber. This would suggest that only a human being could turn the wheel, as any animal strong enough to perform this task would most likely be too large to be led into the cave and would certainly be unable to transcend the ladder.
- A young polar bear could fit through the tunnel
- The Orchid could have had several entrances to the donkey wheel in the past.
- It is likely that Ben was the first person to turn the wheel (at least since Dharma built the Orchid); he blew a hole in a wall with no signs of previous damage, and this is the only entrance to the chamber. The polar bear found in Tunisia could be sent very far into the past at some point after Ben breaches the wall.
- There was likely many entrances to the wheel chamber in the past. Ben just needed a short cut to avoid the mercenaries.
- It is likely Charles Widmore turned the wheel once and got the boot from the Island to Tunisia (Hence, he knew where to observe for anyone leaving the island via the wheel
- The wall could have been built after teaching the bear to turn the wheel
- The bear skeleton found in Tunisia was at least old enough to completely decay and skeletonize in the desert heat
- This would propose that the Island has been moved multiple times with Ben at the helm. "Whoever moves the Island is not allowed to come back" seems to reference a person.
- Why not just use technology for moving the wheel?
- Because Jacob, who we are being led to believe is the voice of the island, "hated technology". In this case trying to manipulate the island-moving controls with technology is futile due to some sort of an effect such as an electromagnetic pulse rendering machinery useless.
- It's true. because if the polar bears move the donkey frozen wheel, it will be teletransported to Tunisia and that dead polar bear in Confirmed dead was an experiment to know if it can survive both climates, but it fail and it died in Tunisia.
Counter-evidence:
While polar bears are strong and can tolerate very low temperatures, it does not seem that these qualities are very important/required to turn the Wheel. Locke was badly injured and wasn't wearing anything warm when he turned the Wheel. Clearly they could have used a more predictable and less dangerous animal, for example, a donkey.
DHARMA might have used polar bears because they were looking for the Exit. Sending a bear would greatly increase the chances that they would get back a report of somebody spotting a polar bear where one would never expect to encounter one (unless, of course, if the exit happened to be in the Arctic regions).
See also
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