Lost has confirmed or debunked most of the theories on the site. Some theories never had any basis, but they feel too wondrous to delete. This was on the DHARMA Initiative theories page:
- The sickness is the disease referred to in the Sri Lanka video by Mittelwerk, and is a solution that was created in order to alter the variables ([The Numbers]) of The Valenzetti Equation. The Dharma Initiative had brought intellectuals from several fields of study to find a way to alter the numbers. We find out through the video that the Valenzetti equation will predict the number of months and days until humanity extinguishes itself, either through war, famine, overpopulation, etc... It was the task of the Dharma Initiative to find a way to alter the variables to postpone or prevent the end of mankind, and as a result they developed a virus (i.e. The Sickness) to selectively "thin the herd" around the globe. The virus was designed to drive its victims insane, and was engineered to only effect a certain percentage of the human population. "The Sickness" was tested on the local population of the Island, "The Others" and the other groups that landed there (Roussoe's Group). Here is some supporting evidence form the Sri Lanka Video, "They think they are infected by a virus carried by local macaques...", "We must make absolute certain we are hitting precise genetic targets...", "We need not take any more lives than is absolutely necessary. Yes?", and most importantly "...we have engineered into the virus." After they perfected the virus, Mittelwerk was going to release it into the rest of the world, and the human population would be selectively thinned out thus altering the Solution to the Equation. In correlation to the efforts shown in the Sri Lanka video, Mittelwerk has been utilizing a small candy company (The Apollo Candy Company) that the Hanso Foundation had purchased in the 1970's to unknowingly medicate a small percentage of the human population (mostly members of the Hanso Foundation and select pockets of the world) against the Sickness since 2004 (on a side note Mittelwerk is the new faceman of the Hanso Foundation). Mittelwerk's Apollo Candy Company has recently teamed up with Sprite, and in a related series of events has teamed up with Dr. Hackett. The Hanso Foundation is currently funding a secret project called Project Sumo, and has been doing so since 1988. The Project has been testing the effects of of psychotropic drugs in a beverage. Here are some of their findings which have been taken from Dr. Hackett's letters, "Your work is proving fruitful (pun intended!)" and "Initial research shows release of the psychotropic compound to be a success. The acid and flavoring agents of the beverage disguise the taste. More tests are necessary to reach optimum viral spread". The Hanso Foundation is planning on releasing The Sickness which will be masked in Sprite! The acidic and fruity taste masks the taste of the viral strain present in the beverage, and it is an easy way to spread the virus around the globe. If their plan succeeds then the equation will be altered, the human race will be saved, and the Dharma Initiative will have succeeded long after their demise.