Theories on "The Variable"

Here are some of the better theories on Wednesday's episode from Lostpedia.org. 

On Daniel's age:

Daniel would have to have been born by 1977. He was a professor at Oxford in 1996, which would be impossible at less than the age of 19. This raises a question as to why he didn't have a nosebleed before Miles earlier in the season, however. it's possible the writers have mixed up their own time line again, as they did with Charlotte.

• While I agree with this, Daniel says he's the youngest doctor to ever graduate from oxford, so who knows how young. If he was already as much of a genius as he seemed as a kid, he could've gone to college at 12 or 13, and been a doctor by 20 or 21.

-On the Comic-Con video

Provided that Daniel's prediction about the massive energy discharge about to pass from the Orchid Station to the site of the Swan Station is correct (which will become known as "the Incident"), then the video Dr. Chang recorded must have been taped shortly after the Incident. The Incident would prove that Daniel Faraday really was from the future and already knew that such an event was going to happen. Somehow Dr. Chang will find out more about the time period from which Daniel originates (including information about the current president and the internet) though of course not from Daniel himself.

Most importantly, Pierre Chang will learn of the Purge, and seeing how Daniel was unable to change the past, Dr. Chang will figure that his future cannot be changed either. Therefore he makes this video to be shown after the Purge has already occurred, Pierre himself is dead (and missing an arm somehow) and the DHARMA Initiative is inactive. However, he makes sure that the video is not played until 2008 because that is after Daniel's time loop with the past has ended.

More:

The Dharma Booth Video was filmed after Daniel was shot and after the Incident. Based on Sawyer comments in 1977, it seems Daniel has been off the Island for awhile. When Daniel returns to the Island, baby Miles is a few months old. Daniel doesn't die from the gunshot because Young Eloise takes him to the Temple to be healed like Ben. While Daniel's in a coma or passed out, the Incident takes place. Baby Charlotte left the Island before the Incident but not baby Miles. The Incident is what gives Miles his psychic ability and causes Dr. Chang's arm to be amputated. The video was filmed shortly after the Incident. In the video, Daniel's voice is heard behind the camera, baby Miles is heard crying in the background and Dr. Chang clasps his hand/arm as if in pain.

-On Eloise's seeming ability to see into the future:

Eloise can't see into the future. She got her information from Daniel, Jack, Kate, Sayid and anyone else who flashed to the 70's and came into contact with her. They tell her everything. In her scene with Penny in 2007, she said she doesn't know what's coming next and it's the first time she doesn't know what's coming in a really long time. The reason is, that they can only tell her what happens between the time they meet in 1977 and the time she sends them back to the island in 2007.

I like that last one. Makes sense. Your thoughts?