Speculations

[Tim Strzechowski]

That's interesting:  I thought the description of the inventors and 
"scientific cranks" at the Northern Ohio Insane Asylum on p. 59 had echoes 
of Gulliver's voyage onto the flying island of Laputa, in which he visits 
the Academy of Lagado and bears witness to a list (there's that word again) 
of absurd experiments.

[...] "Some were inventors with light-engines that could run a bicycle all 
day but at nightfall stopped abruptly [...] Some claimed that light had a 
consciousness and personality and could even be chatted with" [...] (p. 59 - 
60).


And from Book III, chapter 5 of _Gulliver's Travels_:
 The first Man I saw was of a meager Aspect, with sooty Hands and Face, his 
Hair and Beard long, ragged and singed in several Places. His Cloathes, 
Shirt, and Skin were all of the same Colour. He had been Eight Years upon a 
Project for extracting Sun-Beams out of Cucumbers, which were to be put into 
Vials hermetically sealed, and let out to warm the Air in raw inclement 
Summers. He told me he did not doubt in Eight Years more he should be able 
to supply the Governors Gardens with Sun-shine at a reasonable Rate; but he 
complained that his stock was low, and intreated me to give him something as 
an Encouragement to Ingenuity, especially since this had been a very dear 
Season for Cucumbers. I made him a small Present, for my Lord had furnished 
me with Money on Purpose, because he knew their Practice of begging from all 
who go to see them.

 I went into another Chamber, but was ready to hasten back, being almost 
overcome with a horrible Stink. My Conductor pressed me forward, conjuring 
me in a Whisper to give no Offence, which would be highly resented; and 
therefore I durst not so much as stop my Nose. The Projector of this Cell 
was the most ancient Student of the Academy. His Face and Beard were of a 
pale Yellow; his Hands and Clothes daubed over with Filth. When I was 
presented to him, he gave me a close Embrace (a Compliment I could well have 
excused.) His Employment from his first coming into the Academy, was an 
Operation to reduce human Excrement to its original Food, by separating the 
several Parts, removing the Tincture which it receives from the Gall, making 
the Odour exhale, and scumming off the Saliva. He had a weekly Allowance 
from the Society, of a Vessel filled with human Ordure about the Bigness of 
a Bristol Barrel.

 I saw another at work to calcine Ice into Gunpowder; who likewise shewed me 
a Treatise he had written concerning the Malleability of Fire, which he 
intended to publish.

 There was a most ingenious Architect who had contrived a new Method for 
building Houses, by beginning at the Roof, and working downwards to the 
Foundation; which he justified to me by the like Practice of those two 
prudent Insects, the Bee and the Spider. [...]

http://www.jaffebros.com/lee/gulliver/bk3/chap3-5.html


>
> In short, I think it is a Flying Island and refers to
> an island where Shiva and Shakti live...backlighting
> some very interesting Free Energy Physics with hindu
> metaphysics.
>