Meaning
What does 4 8 15 16 23 42 mean?
4 8 15 16 23 42 are reoccurring numbers throughout the television series Lost.
The numbers are hidden throughout the show, hidden like Easter eggs and are said to bring bad luck.
Origin
What's the origin of 4 8 15 16 23 42?
David Fury said in a Lostpedia interview that Damon Lindelof and J.J Abrams conceived the inclusion of mysterious numbers in the series while in a restaurant.
While writing the 18th episode of season 1, Fury decided to use numbers that were already used in the show.
4 refers to the years Locke spent in a wheelchair, 8 and 15 is a reference to Flight 815, 16 eludes to the years Rousseau’s message has been playing and Jack was sitting in sweat 23.
When deciding on the final number, Fury chose 42, as an homage to “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”.
Spread & Usage
How did 4 8 15 16 23 42 spread?
During the show’s lifetime between 2004 and 2010 the sequence has appeared in various contexts.
Online “4 8 15 16 23 42” appears in fan discussions about Lost.
The first entry about the numbers was uploaded to Urban Dictionary in 2005.
External resources
- Lostpedia – The Numbers
- Screenrant – LOST: 10 Hilarious “4 8 15 16 23 42” Memes That Are Too Funny