Now that I am *finally* caught up to the 4th season of Lost, I have a new favorite theory.

When I was a kid, my dad told me about the inner Earth and the possibility of a hollow Earth. Because Lost is all about daddy issues, I have to give special weight to a theory purported by my own dad.

So, the Hollow Earth can be accessed from the South Pole, and exited from the North Pole. The South Pole entrance explains the polar bears. It also explains why Penny's team looks to be in an antarctic bunker -- that is the closest place they have picked up a signal. The Oceanic 815 plane departed Australia for Los Angeles. I know when you fly Seattle to Europe, they fly over the North Pole to save time. Surely, an Australia-L.A. flight would do the same. They got sucked into the South Pole and down into inner earth -- Agharta.

Legend has it Hitler himself when looking for inner earth, and may have found it and escaped there.

The opener of season four dropped us several clues that the island is within the hollow earth. 1) Hurley saying Charlie was in front of the HoHos, and 2) Jack getting H-O in a game of horse with Hurley. Both references to Santa -- the poles.

If the show is flashing forward, and Jack and Hurley are traveling back to the island -- they will first need to go to the South Pole.

More about the Hollow Earth: http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/2007/03/01/85-inside-the-hollow-earth/