Google Sightseeing takes you on tour of the world as seen from satellite, using the free Google Earth program, or Google Maps in your web browser. Each weekday your guides James and Alex present new weird and wonderful sights as suggested by readers.

The editors: James & Alex

4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42

Saturday, 5th November 2005 by Alex

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, then you’ll have heard all about everyone’s favourite show, ‘Lost‘. And if you’re a fan, then you’ll know that the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42 are of great significance.

So what happens if you use the numbers as latitude and longitude co-ordinates? Obviously you could use them in several different ways, but if you stick to the rough area where the survivors believe flight 815 crashed, then you’ll find this tiny little island

For those of you less intrigued by the mystery of the numbers, here’s Mokule’ia beach in Hawaii where they film the show.

Thanks to Andrew and Charles Davison.

35 Responses to '4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42'

  1. 1. northern git says:

    Right - i am warning everybody!
    Us British,non-dvd owning fans dont want anyone spoiling our Wednesday nights.
    Keep your season 2 insights to yourself.

  2. 2. Olly says:

    Wait…is that white splodge a polar bear?

  3. 3. prooie says:

    Raoul Duke: Look, there’s two women f**king a polar bear!
    Dr. Gonzo: Don’t say shit like that to me man.

  4. 4. Winchester says:

    This would be Kosrae Island in the Federated States of Micronesia. It’s a beautiful island with some odd mystical history as well. How appropriate! Palikir, Kosrae’s neighbor to the northwest has a bunch of ruins known generically as “the Venice of the Pacific”. More info on Kosrae can be found here: http://www.kosrae.com

  5. 5. Metal Object says:

    I am the metal object! Maaaahhhhh! I made the plane crash! Bllaahhhh!

  6. 6. Citizen Grim says:

    I was about to point out, I think that’s Kosrae Island. It’s not huge, but it’s not all that small, either - 66 square miles, population of 7,000+ and its own airport.

  7. 7. JollyRoger says:

    (4) 8 15 16 23 42
    4 8 15 16 23 42
    4 8 15 16 23 42
    4 (8) 15 16 23 42
    4 8 (15) (16) 23 42
    4 8 15 16 (23) 42
    4 8 15 16 23 (42)

    count up from the bottom and last 42 (row 7) you get to 4 the alpha,
    starting in the same place count up 23 you get 8 repeat this for each number count up from the last 42 16 places you get 15 and so on. the numbers are random by themselves but when repeated the are the pattern, the patern is not in the numbers the numbers are the pattern.

    You can also get to 4 from the bottom 42 then start at the top left number 4 and count 8 to get to 8 and from 4 count 15 and you will get 15 and so on..

    Once Again the numbers are the pattern the pattern is not in the numbers

    look below

    (connect 4 remember 6 down 7 across) notice the patern on the way up the sides. There is your answer 7 rows of 6 numbers is 42 and the sum of these numbers is 108 per row.

    42 4 8 15 16 23 42
    23 42 4 8 15 16 23
    16 23 42 4 8 15 16
    15 16 23 42 4 8 15
    8 4 42 23 16 15 8
    4 42 23 16 15 8 4

    And Yes there is more, but I dont want to ruin all of your fun. Plenty of clues. As for the french womans equations. well study up on some Trig. Clue Trig applied to mechanical engineering.

    To sign this so that I can at least prove to those that know me that this is not where I got the answer but that I am the one who posted it I will say (The Sweet Trade 5816)

    Yes there is more but guess what I just wanted to get others to start looking the writers are excellent and pay close attention to detail.
    They did not lie when they said the numbers are random they just didn’t tell you the rest. =0)
    Enjoy

  8. 8. SteveW says:

    “count up from the bottom and last 42 (row 7) you get to 4 the alpha”
    JollyRoger what’s the alpha ?

  9. 9. Geroge W Bush says:

    What an amazing coincidence!! I’ve got those numbers tattooed on my cock!

  10. 10. Bob says:

    If you do 4 - 8 - 15 - 23 - 42, it equals -100. You may have toy flip it to be 001- or 001, maybe even just 100. Maybe when it reaches the 100th day on their island, something dromatic may happen…

  11. 11. joshy says:

    No dimwit the numbers add up 2 92 christ

  12. 12. joshy says:

    oooo minus each other
    wow sorry had a bit of a go there

  13. 13. Sarah says:

    u guys r both rong, da numbers add up 2 108. god, its a simple math sum

  14. 14. Habibi says:

    Holy Allah!!! Are you infidels retarded !!! The numbers add through the matrix addition algorithm and therefore the indices sumate to approximately 1010011010, which is binary german for “Gimme ya kebab ya cunt”… Fucking Allah, its simple arabic…

  15. 15. Walt says:

    i want my mommy

  16. 16. srsen says:

    is that a cog reference? they have a song which has 1010011010 in it. anyway cog rock. that theory is seriously in depth. it sounds tight, my only question is that why would the writers make it that, its too hard for a mainstream audience to digest. but otherwsie ei rekon that guys involved with the show coz that is too well thought out

  17. 17. Daniel says:

    OMFG ROFLMAO hahahahahah lol.

    Bob-4 - 8- 15 -23 -42 (you missed the 16)
    Joshy- it adds up to 92 (lol) even if u typed in a calc to work wat bob wrote you were still wrong hahahaha

    4+8+15+16+23+42=108 and 4-8-15-16-23-42=-100

    the timer in the Hatch counts down from 108 minutes which is all the numbers added up. (there are sooo many theory’s about the lost numbers on the net that you cant quiet figure out what numbers the writers and/or the directors deliberatley placed in the story, i mean it may not even be about the co-ordinates…al the story has told us from hurly’s perspective is that they are (unlucky or ‘BAD’ numbers!!)

  18. 18. Seraphim says:

    Lost
    4-8-15-16-23-42

    Oceanic flight-815*if u combine 8-15
    Survivor-48*Check it out..48 if u combine 4-8 from the number
    from the airport Gate -23*
    Row-42 in the plane

    In Deus Ex Machina a license plate reads 4TRIO19. 4 + 19 = 23.

    In Lockdown, when Hurley and Sawyer are playing poker the cards on the table are 3 6 4 8 J. If you add up just the clubs, it’s 15. (4 of clubs, 8 of clubs, 3 of clubs). If you add up the J and 6, it’s 16. Then you have the 4 and 8 in order. This means 4, 8, 15, & 16 can be seen on the poker table

    - In Lockdown, Anthony Cooper’s safe deposit box number was 1516. 15 and 16.

    In the episode Dave, Dr. Brooks says 23 people were out on the deck and it was built to hold 8. 23 & 8.

    In episode 11, the x-rays of Gabriella’s father have the number 250884. If you take one of the numbers 23, twice, and make it 2323 and multiply it by 108 you get the number on the x-ray. 2323 x 108 = 250884
    In Maternity Leave, the numbers 4 8 15 16 23 42 appear on the vaccine bottles

    I dont know if this help or anything…i just saw it when i saw the number…cool

    And go here to see this star position thing http://thelostnumbers.blogspot.com/

  19. 19. Lykos7D0 says:

    Jolly says:
    “count up from the bottom and last 42 (row 7) you get to 4 the alpha…”

    Dude. None of that made any sense the way you explained it. Where’s the rest of the explanation that you didn’t manage to write down in between the lines? I understand what you did. Sometimes my head fills in the gaps that everyone else isn’t hearing from me, so they don’t understand. Try to map out better what you mean.

  20. 20. Sheri says:

    ‘LOST’ Is the greatest TV Series (Actully, greatest thing to be on TV) EVER! How fab is it :] And yes, the numbers add up to 108, That it why when the buttons are pressed it goes to 108 ..Anyway! Some pretty amazing and wierd thoughts about the numbers! Luff Shez

  21. 21. craig says:

    if u take 4, 8, and 1 (from 15) and replace them with letters) ie 1=a 2=b 3=c etc. it becomes DHA

    DHARMA resemblence

  22. 22. jojo says:

    4 = Jack, Kate, Hurley, saywer

    8 15 = Number flight Oceanic

    16 = 16 years Lost

    23 = Gate 23 (airport)

    42 = row in the plane

  23. 23. Burge says:

    spoiler- Walt gets saved by Michael, after he shoots and kills Anna Lucia and Libby. 4 8 15

  24. 24. john says:

    spoiler by th way jack wakes up and it is all a dream

  25. 25. kalvin says:

    i am the son of one of the directors of lost and everybody is actually dead—if the others take you ,you go to heaven

  26. 26. Lou says:

    i think 4 = how many yrs locke was in a wheel chair (ie y he was on the plane) 8 = how many yrs its been since michael had contact wit walt (ie y he was on the plane) 15 = how many yrs sayids been lookin for nadia since gulf war (y he was on the plane) 16 havent got yet. 23 = the reward money for kate (y on plane) 25 = how long its taken soyers been lookin 4 the man tht killed his family (y on plane) and 42 not sure yet. n yes i have been thinkin bout it too much.

  27. 27. I'm Lost! says:

    I think they only put the numbers in to make everyone think there is a meaning behind it all and mess up our heads trying to work it

  28. 28. angie says:

    sarahs right the numbers add up to 108!!!!!!

  29. 29. thomas says:

    i got some good clues!!!

    in the episode were locke watches the movie for the peral hatch… the experiments ends in 540 days.. 108 *5 =540 and 540 *2 = 1080

    4+8+15+16+23+42=108

    Hers a weird clue…

    sayid captures henry gale and brings him back to the hatch right?…
    well anyway sayid asks him how did he arrive on the island, henry replies i was flying across the ocean on a hot air baloon.
    well if you ever watched “the wizard of oz” dorothy’s uncle is named henry gale and he flies in a hot air balloon to get to the oz… pretty weird huh?

  30. 30. ADRIAN says:

    NO AN PENSADO QUE LOS NUMEROS PUEDEN SER CORDENADAS DE DONDE SE ENCUENTRA LA ISLA PUEDE SER

  31. 31. nate says:

    ok so there is obveus things and things that are not so abveus( my spelling sucks)

    4+8+15+16+23+42=108 ; every 108 minutes the button had to be pushed

    the episode “the other 48 days” 4-8 both put togther in sequence

    flight 815 is the flight that crashed ; again 8-15 put together to make that

    as for the guy who posted about the years and couldnt think of one for 16, alex was taken from danielle (Russio) 16 years ago; 16

    kate’s reward was 23 thousand ; 23

    hurley won 114 million dollars, 1+14=15

    he is now worth 156 million; 15

    thats all i got for now, tell me if somthing is inacurate or can be explained/ updated, thanx

  32. 32. MOE says:

    btw if any of u guys noticed in an episode in season 1 wen herly is rushing to the plane there is a soccer team wid the numbers 4 8 15 16 23 42 and the gates are 23 to 42

  33. 33. DappaDan says:

    dont know if anyone has noticed, but if you zoom into the runway that is on the island , there is the number 23 painted on the floor. this is one of the ‘lost numbers’.

    Spooky………….

  34. 34. JackM says:

    4+8+15+16+23+48=108. The button has to be pushed every 108 minutes. They Oceanic 6 get off the island on the 108th day. The plane is called 815 ( 8 and 15). Kate capture reward is 23,000 and the gate 23 where they board the plane (23). Jack sits in Row 42 on the plane. The coordinates of the Island are 48151 , 62342. When Hurley is running for the plane in season 1 you see a football team with numbers of 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42. Locke is on the plane because he has been in a wheelchair 4 years. Michael is there because he has not seen his son for 8 years. Hugo won 114m on the lottery (1+14=15). Alex has not saw her mother for 16 years. The numbers are Hugo’s lottery numbers which win him 114m and get him to the island. So many Questions. If only 6 get off the island do the rest die or choose to stay. Who is pressing the button now? What is the smoke monster? Will all the questions be answered? All I know is whoever wrote this script in this much detail and all the surprises and mysteries is an absolute genius!

  35. 35. Joelle says:

    1010011010 is the imaginary number for the beast…also, if you take the differences of the differences of the differences (etc., etc.) of those numbers, you get three. I have no idea what this could mean; I’m just putting it out there. Plus, and I know this is going way too deep and it almost definitely doesn’t mean anything, if you take the differences of the numbers…I guess it would be easier to show it:

    3
    3 6
    3 0 6
    3 6 6 12
    4 7 1 7 19
    4 8 15 16 23 42

    See the numbers on the left side of the pyramid? 443333? If you take their differences (01000) and put them into base64, you get CA==. So maybe they’re all going to California. The above was completely irrelevant, but it was fun playing around with the numbers.
    haha yes, I do have a lot of time on my hands

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