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Atlas Shrugged Science Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Volume.Chapter.Section.Page). We used the 50th Anniversary Edition published by Signet Books in 2007.

Quote #10

Dr. Stadler leaped to stop him – but Meigs shoved him aside with one arm, gave a gulp of laughter at the sight of Stadler falling to the floor, and with the other arm, yanked a lever of the Xylophone.

The crash of sound – the screeching crash of ripped metal and of pressures colliding on conflicting circuits, the sound of a monster turning upon itself – was heard only inside the structure. No sound was heard outside. (3.9.1.90-91)

The destruction of Project X is a very fitting symbolic end to the looters' regime, as is the fact that Meigs is the one to pull the lever. An ignorant thug, Meigs rose to power in a criminal regime and then brought down destruction on everyone by abusing the "tools" of the looters' system.

Quote #11

"That's what you think!" said Ferris, and chuckled. "You haven't seen our experimental model in action. Last month, we got three confessions in three unsolved murder cases."

"If . . ." started Mr. Thompson, and his voice cracked suddenly into a moan, "if he dies, we all perish!"

"Don't worry," said Ferris. "He won't. The Ferris Persuader is safely calculated against that possibility." (3.9.2.26-28)

It's also fitting that the looters would use science and technology to develop machines for torture and exploitation.