Anybody have any ideas on why a constellation would have this name? There's none with that name in our solar system.

There's none with that name in our solar system.

I suspect this was exactly why they chose that name. A guy who's never heard of the Brady Bunch would likely not know the constellations by the same name we do.
Not to mention all the fun theorists will have with Theodorus, saint and mathematician.

Didn't they make up the name? They said it looked like a Teddy Bear.

karl and alex probably don't know about the constellations, having grown up on the island, they made it up, I assume

yes, they made up their own names for the constellations.
so there were 2 teddy bears in this episode, the constellation and the one carried by the little tailie boy.

i think i'ts the greek god of grilled cheese who presumably lived in the year 815bc

Anybody have any ideas on why a constellation would have this name? There's none with that name in our solar system.

Just as Karl said, they (Alex and he) made it up. Almost as if different constelations exist in the snow globe sky. Hmmm. As far as the name goes, Ursa means bear, and Theodorus is just a Latinized Theodore. The original stuffed bear was named after Teddy Roseavelt (sorry. I am a terrrible speller.) So, its basically Latin for teddy bear.

Teddy bears were originally named after Theodore Roosevelt, who became famous as the president who was in favor of protecting the wilderness - including grizzly bear habitat. So a toy maker created a stuffed bear, and named it after the president. Teddy is short for Theodore, hence Ursas Theodorus.

I find it amusing that they apparently teach Latin on the island :smile:

Karl speaks Latin? Actually, one of the "projects" that he was working on probably revolved around animals. Noah's Ark?

I thought it was a very sweet, funny moment. And it may have been a subtle repeat of Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land" theme, in line with Jack the Lostie going to live with The Others. If they're not on our Earth (well, even if they are), they may not have learned our constellations. Or it might just be a little romantic thing of theirs, making up their own constellation names.

And there were about a billion stars...extremely unusual for LOST, so far.

This may have saved the episode for me, actually.;)

Karl speaks Latin? Actually, one of the "projects" that he was working on probably revolved around animals. Noah's Ark?

Gotta keep in mind that the whole island, especially the hydra, is focused on science and bio genetic research, especially polar bears.

It is also a reference to two well-known constellations: the "Big Dipper" is actually called Ursa Major -translates as Big Bear- and the Little Dipper is Ursa Minor, or Little Bear.

Wikipedia Ursa Major: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Dipper
Wikipedia Ursa Minor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Dipper

I was curious if it had any connection to the polar bears. The polar bears were the first thing that came to my mind when Karl said it.

At least neither the toy bear nor the constellation bear was a nuclear weapon. ;)

I find it hard to believe they don't know the constellations living in a commune of scientist wher it seems education is paramount,I can see not knowing the Brady Bunch not having TV

My take on it is that they do know the proper names of the constellations, but were giving them their own names because there's not much else to do on an island full of harda**es like the Others.

If they didn't know about "The Brady Bunch", how would they know that a toy bear is called a Teddy?

How do we know that they don't know the names of the proper constellations. All he said was that they made up their own. Could have been in addition to what they know about the "real" constellations.

Anybody have any ideas on why a constellation would have this name? There's none with that name in our solar system.

There is only one star in our solar system, and certainly not any "constellations" (actually asterisms). Sorry Im a life long amatuer astronomer, I couldnt help myself! :)

At the very end of the episode, when they showed Carl looking up at the sky and then they showed Alex looking up at the sky and the sappy music was playing, the stars made the shape of a teddy bear. They were looking at the constellation that they named.

At the very end of the episode, when they showed Carl looking up at the sky and then they showed Alex looking up at the sky and the sappy music was playing, the stars made the shape of a teddy bear. They were looking at the constellation that they named.

I didn't even notice that. I will look for that when I watch it again. I was surprised that they didn't know names of constellations...unless they were just making new ones up to have fun.

Anybody have any ideas on why a constellation would have this name? There's none with that name in our solar system.

So everyone's been scratching their heads with the whole Ursa Theodorus bit. I'm pretty confident I have the answer. First, a bit of etymology.

As we all know, there is no Ursa Theodorus constellation. But what we do have is Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. But what's interesting is that Ursa Minor probably wouldn't be visible at all if the latitude of the island is anywhere near Fiji. But Ursa Major is definitely visible.

Many people have been thinking the name has to do with Teddy Bear. While that is close, it is just a bit off the mark of the clue we're being given by the writers. We have to look deeper. As we all know, Teddy Bears were named after Theodore Roosevelt.

But what does Theodore Roosevelt have to do with Alex and Karl's constellation? Before I reveal the answer, I want to point out that the name of two of the Others play into this and I don't think it's by accident. Who might you ask? None other than Tom and Isabell or should I say Isbell. But I'll get to that in a minute.

I'll let you all have your own moment of eureka like I did. Go to Google and use these key words: Theodore Roosevelt Ursa Major. I'll wait . . . . . . . .

Have your moment yet? No? Check out the author of the play if you visit the first link. Now I'll bet I've got your attention. So what does Tom's play and Lost have in common? At this point I'm not sure. There are obvious parallels that can be seen such as children getting into trouble like Alex and Karl. I'm still working on it, but I had to let you guys in on the fun.

Guys

Usra Theodoras means Teddy bear. Ursa means bear and Theodorus is the name Ted..teddy

Obviously they were looking at the Little Dipper and had named it themselves based on its shape--which people think looks like a bear--why? well who cares. haha

Stars were a theme in the epi. Jacks 5 stars, Juliets star mark, Karl and Alex, Jack and Juilet, Saywer and Kate

I say little dipper because Teddy bear would mean Little bear. BTW..the North star is at the head of the Little Dipper...makes me think of Eko's stick message

Obviously they were looking at the Little Dipper

I doubt it. They are allegedly somewhere in the general vicinity of Fiji which sits in the range of 12 and 20 degrees south latitude. Below 10, You can't see Ursa Minor. At all. But you CAN see Ursa Major all the way up to 30 degrees south.

I say little dipper because Teddy bear would mean Little bear. BTW..the North star is at the head of the Little Dipper...makes me think of Eko's stick message

You can't see the North Star even one degree south of the equator.

i don't think it matters whether they can actually see it. what matters is the symbolism. that one line by Karl was the single most important line of the show, IMO.

the Big and Little Dippers circle each other constantly in the sky. if you look into the history of their names in Greek mythology, you'll see what it has significance to other symbols and themes in the LOST plot.

i don't think it matters whether they can actually see it. what matters is the symbolism. that one line by Karl was the single most important line of the show, IMO.

I'll go with you on the symbolism, but what are the odds that given the general theme of Alex and Karl that a man named Tom Isbell (get it?) wrote a play whose name has both Theodore Roosevelt and Ursa Major in it where the whole plot centers on two kids running around getting into trouble?

Given the obvious plethora of entertainment culture references we see, I think this is another one albeit pretty well hidden since this is a bit of an obscure reference.

the Big and Little Dippers circle each other constantly in the sky. Not exactly. Ursa Minor whose tail begins with Polaris (North Star) pivots on the tip of it's tail. Ursa Major follows around in a circular pattern. They do not move independently of each other and hence cannot under any circumstance "circle each other" in the sky. It just doesn't happen.

I think this is a good point for me to highlight the differences between the dippers and their related constellations. The dippers are only one part of the Ursa constellations. The handles of the dippers comprise the "tail" of the full blown constellation representing the bears. There are more stars outside the dippers in the Ursa groups.

I believe that it is something that Alex and Karl made up together. It could very well be a known constellation that they just renamed and "reshaped" to fit their needs.

If you connect-the-dots of any constellation, at best all you get is a collection of straight lines. It is the story around the group of stars that gives it shape and form. Take a look at Ursa Major and try and convince me that it looks more like a bear instead of an aardvark or Pokey (of "Gumby and Pokey" fame).

There is a story around the teddy bear that gave both Alex and Karl the need to create a constellation of their own. We just don't know what it is yet.

It is also a reference to two well-known constellations: the "Big Dipper" is actually called Ursa Major -translates as Big Bear- and the Little Dipper is Ursa Minor, or Little Bear.

Wikipedia Ursa Major: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Dipper
Wikipedia Ursa Minor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Dipper

The big dipper nor the little dipper are constellations and are not called Ursa Major/Ursa Minor. Both are asterisms within the larger constellations of Ursa Major/Ursa Minor. And neither were referenced in the show.

I believe that it is something that Alex and Karl made up together. It could very well be a known constellation that they just renamed and "reshaped" to fit their needs.

If you connect-the-dots of any constellation, at best all you get is a collection of straight lines. It is the story around the group of stars that gives it shape and form. Take a look at Ursa Major and try and convince me that it looks more like a bear instead of an aardvark or Pokey (of "Gumby and Pokey" fame).

There is a story around the teddy bear that gave both Alex and Karl the need to create a constellation of their own. We just don't know what it is yet.

I don't think it is an accident that they used "Ursa" in their name. Nor do I think it is an accident they used "Theodore" either. But if my assertion that Tom Isbell's (I still can't believe people aren't seeing the connection yet) play isn't the hidden reference on the part of the writers, then it is just as likely that one of the Others knows very well what the names of the constellations are and their stories and relayed it to either Alex or Karl.

If you ask me, I'd say Karl was the one that heard the story first. That's just the sort of smooth move a young Casanova would use to woo the girl he is interested in. "See those stars there? Let me tell you a story about them . . ."

Haven't posted in a while but couldn't resist.Hahaha...classic. It was simply created by the writers to create a tender moment for Alex & Karl. Nothing more, nothing less. But please, keep 'em comin'. Funny stuff...

Haven't posted in a while but couldn't resist.Hahaha...classic. It was simply created by the writers to create a tender moment for Alex & Karl. Nothing more, nothing less. But please, keep 'em comin'. Funny stuff...

Have they said as much or is this your opinion?

Gonna have to side with the camp saying it was just a cute moment between Alex and Karl. It also served to inform us that the Others have backyards.

Gonna have to side with the camp saying it was just a cute moment between Alex and Karl. It also served to inform us that the Others have backyards.

So . . .

Title: "Teddy Roosevelt and the Treasure of Ursa Major"
Author: Tom Isbell (i.e. "I'm Tom by the way" and Isabell the sheriff)

Is purely a coincidence?

Well, indeed I though it was really cute.. one of the few goods moments of an otherwise dull episode. Ursa Theodorus, teddy bear... priceless. :mushy:

Not exactly. Ursa Minor whose tail begins with Polaris (North Star) pivots on the tip of it's tail. Ursa Major follows around in a circular pattern. They do not move independently of each other and hence cannot under any circumstance "circle each other" in the sky. It just doesn't happen.

OK, so they don't "circle each other," they circle Polaris. Whatever. The point is that the symbolism of the endless chase, misunderstanding, protection, time, and death are all found in the show and also in the lore surrounding the constellation.

as for the tie-in to the play...what would the clues in LOST be without double-meaning, right?
100%
Haven't posted in a while but couldn't resist.Hahaha...classic. It was simply created by the writers to create a tender moment for Alex & Karl. Nothing more, nothing less. But please, keep 'em comin'. Funny stuff...

seriously? nothing in the show is accidental or anecdotal, IMHO.

In my mind, I think it is something the writers came up with so that we, all of us on this site, could go back and forth with out theories and distract us from the hard facts that the show presents us.

I'm not going into those facts because I could be here all day and I'm sure they have been posted somewhere already. Just pointing out that this is part of the fun of the show, to find these hidden messages within names and such.

I love what some people come up with on these subjects!

seriously? nothing in the show is accidental or anecdotal, IMHO.


In fact, I am sorry, but I believe we have been consistently overrating the writers ability to create puzzles, references and, even, to keep track of what has been written before. We have been systematically disapointed by finding out that things we discussed for pages are actually continuity mistakes, or prop mistakes. I do think that lots of what goes on on Lost is really accidental. And meaningless. The important thing is how to separate what is supposed to be relevant that what is not. This teddy bear reference is meant to mean that they have been in love since childhood, that is all.

I doubt it. They are allegedly somewhere in the general vicinity of Fiji which sits in the range of 12 and 20 degrees south latitude. Below 10, You can't see Ursa Minor. At all. But you CAN see Ursa Major all the way up to 30 degrees south.

You can't see the North Star even one degree south of the equator.

Now why in the world would you believe they were in the general vicinity of Fiji ? Because the losties..who have no idea where they are say so?

I think its far more logical to assume they are nowhere near where they think they are..thats why they're lost:)

Guys....I think they are on the other side of the universe, and im not kidding. I'm wondering if that magnetic anomoly, when at or reaching critical mass, fold's space to bring the earth and another planet across the universe together allowing things like planes, hot air ballons, ships, etc to cross...a wormhole if you will.

div2n, are you serious?

I think this may be a big clue. Someone will need to check for me if they actually show a constellation that looks like a teddy bear because I lost my recording of the episode. But if they do, they how could they explain that if there is no teddy bear constellation in real life? I'm not talking about Karl and Alex making up a name. I'm talking about them showing a teddy bear constellation.

Guys....I think they are on the other side of the universe, and im not kidding. I'm wondering if that magnetic anomoly, when at or reaching critical mass, fold's space to bring the earth and another planet across the universe together allowing things like planes, hot air ballons, ships, etc to cross...a wormhole if you will.

div2n, are you serious?

Apologies for introducing anagrams into the conversation, but since Ursa Theodorus is an entirely made-up name I thought a cursory examination is worthwhile.

Ursa Theodorus=

Arduous Others. (Ain't that the truth!)

Duo hearts sour. (All you Sawyer-Kate relationship fans better get your crying tissues out.)

Shrouds a route. (Follow those stars!)

After skimming through the thread, and seeing the comment about them being on the other side of the universe, I got thinking back to Season 1 when we saw a couple of still shots of the stars in different episodes. Weren't the constellations backwards in the sky in both episodes? I had forgotten about it, but it never really did get explained...

div2n, are you serious?

About what?

Anybody have any ideas on why a constellation would have this name? There's none with that name in our solar system.

You know, I just assumed it was Ursa Minor (Little Dipper) he was referring to. I remember back in S1 there was all sorts of to-do about seeing the reverse image of the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) in White Rabbit. Now, if it was Ursa minor, this is sticky because this constellation contains Polaris, the North Star which is barely visible from the equator, and then only at the horizon. And I don't think Karl was pointing at the horizon.

IMO, I thought it was just something that they just made up while out in their yard. (I assume that they know all the regular constellations.) I guess it was to show that they do have lives outside of their work.

Gonna have to side with the camp saying it was just a cute moment between Alex and Karl. It also served to inform us that the Others have backyards.

I agree with this, too. I also kept thinking the phrase "star-crossed lovers," which seems to fit their situation.

Also... I was under the impression it was Alex in the jungle with the teddy bear, when Eko and Jin were hiding from the others. The feet/legs were of a much older person than those little kids (Emma and ??). That teddy bear was pretty beat up and dirty, and had something (wire?) wrapped around it as a handle. The one the kids had in SIASL was in much better shape. It's not a stretch that Alex could have her own teddy bear. It could also explain why she and Karl named a constellation after one. Doesn't matter really, just an observation. :-)

We were specifically shown the teddy bear with the Tallies and the kid (can't remember his name).

We were then shown another beat-up bear passing by Jin and Eko as the hid in the busses as "Them" (the Tallies Others) passed by.

We were then shown the teddy bear with the Tallie kid with Cindy (which was different from the one Jin and Eko saw).

Now we have Karl and Alex making up a constellation of a teddy bear.

Coincedence? :undecide:

Would somebody please check if they actually show a teddy bear constellation? If they do, then in my mind, that would be like one of the losties finding a unicorn on the island. It doesn't exist in real life. How could they see a teddy bear constellation that's not real unless they aren't seeing the same stars we are?

Edit: Never mind. I watched it abc.com and they don't show a teddy bear constellation.

The boy's name is Zack