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Blue check This page is an official policy on Lostpedia. It has wide acceptance among editors and is considered a standard that all users should follow. When editing this page, please ensure that your revision reflects consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on the talk page.
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LP:THEORY

Both theories and speculations are coherent statements made in an attempt to explain the events of Lost. Neither can be treated as canonical until they are presented as a fact by a reputable source.

Theory subpages[]

Every article has a Theory tab (located on the far right) that links to a unique Theories subpage (Example: The Monster/Theories). All theories/speculation should be placed on this subpage. Each theory subpage will also have its own discussion page for discussing theories. When you are on a theory page, click the Parent Article tab (located on the far right) to return to the main article.

Theories and speculation[]

A theory is an attempt to explain a certain mystery using logic backed up with logically consistent observations and facts. Without supporting evidence, statements are merely speculation. Speculation is similar to theories except there are no facts or logic to back the theory up.

Theories should always be placed on the /Theories subpage of an article. To get to the /Theories subpage, click the Theories tab at the top of the article (the rightmost tab). Theories should not be placed on articles or the articles' talk pages because of their non-canonical nature.

Basic rules[]

 Theories may be removed if ... 
  1. Stated as questions or possibilities (avoid question marks, "Maybe", "I think", etc).
  2. More appropriate for another article.
  3. Illogical or previously disproven.
  4. Proven by canon source, and moved to main article.
  5. Speculative and lacking any evidence to support arguments.
  6. Responding to another theory (use discussion page instead).
  • This does not include responses that can stand alone as its own theory.
  • Usage of an indented bullet does not imply the statement is a response.

See the Lostpedia theory policy for more details.

  • Provide reasoning for your theory.
    • Example: "Rose is Walt's grandmother" is speculation. If you wrote "Rose is Walt's grandmother because... [insert fact(s) here]" you are on the right track.
  • Place theories on the most relevant article.
    • Example: General theories about Jacob should be put on his theory page, not the theory page for an episode he was seen in.
  • Do not state theories as questions or possibilities (avoid terms like "Maybe", "I think").
  • Do not add illogical or disproven theories.
  • Do not discuss theories on the theory page, main article page or its talk page; use the talk page for the /Theories subpage instead.
  • Do not sign your theories.

Archiving[]

Unlike Main talk pages, you generally shouldn't archive theory pages. Unlike talk pages, theory pages are similar to main pages; each part of the page is connected with the other (even though the longest page in the whole wiki currently is the Season 4 Episode 16 Theory Page).

Proven theories[]

When information that confirms a theory is revealed by a canonical source, the statement becomes fact and can be moved from the /Theories subpage to the main article.

Discredited theories[]

If a theory has been discredited due to the revelation of new facts from a reputable source, the theory should be removed from the theories page. If there is need to keep this theory for historical purposes, please place it on the discussion page of the article's /Theory page (or if it is a major theory, the Debunked theories page).

Theory and logical fallacy[]

There are many types of logical fallacies. Specifically, it is easy to attempt to support a speculation by using shoehorning and wishful thinking. It is also possible to create statements that appear on the surface to be a theory, but fall short due to a logical fallacy; such statements are sometimes referred to as crackpot theories. Please remember that theories must maintain logical consistency, therefore theories presented with a logical fallacy are actually only unsupported speculations and do not belong in an article.

Consider the following:

  • 1. Wood floats.
  • 2. Ducks float.
  • 3. Ducks are made out of wood.

The conclusion is "correct", based on the "facts" presented in the argument. However, the facts are not directly connected to each other, which creates an illogical conclusion.

A more Lostean example might be:

  • The Island chose Locke because he is special.
  • The Island chose Walt because he is special.
  • Locke and Walt are the same person.

Keep humor where it belongs[]

Adding humor to theories or articles "just to be funny" is not particularly helpful and will most likely be seen as a nuisance, or worse, as vandalism. The majority of people who visit the Lostpedia take Lost theories seriously, and the hundreds of editors that spend hours tidying articles and talk pages will not appreciate having to excise your comedy antics from an article. Please add your brand of humor to your own talk page, or visit the Lostpedia forum.

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