1984

           TherearethereforetwogreatproblemswhichthePartyisconcernedtosolve. Oneishowtodiscover,againsthiswill,whatanotherhumanbeingisthinking,andtheotherishowtokillseveralhundredmillionpeopleinafewsecondswithoutgivingwarningbeforehand. Insofarasscientificresearchstillcontinues,thisisitssubjectmatter. Thescientistoftodayiseitheramixtureofpsychologistandinquisitor,studyingwithrealordinaryminutenessthemeaningoffacialexpressions,gestures,andtonesofvoice,andtestingthetruth-producingeffectsofdrugs,shocktherapy,hypnosis,andphysicaltorture; orheischemist,physicist,orbiologistconcernedonlywithsuchbranchesofhisspecialsubjectasarerelevanttothetakingoflife. InthevastlaboratoriesoftheMinistryofPeace,andintheexperimentalstationshiddenintheBrazilianforests,orintheAustraliandesert,oronlostislandsoftheAntarctic,theteamsofexpertsareindefatigablyatwork. Someareconcernedsimplywithplanningthelogisticsoffuturewars; othersdeviselargerandlargerrocketbombs,moreandmorepowerfulexplosives,andmoreandmoreimpenetrablearmour-plating; otherssearchfornewanddeadliergases,orforsolublepoisonscapableofbeingproducedinsuchquantitiesastodestroythevegetationofwholecontinents,orforbreedsofdiseasegermsimmunizedagainstallpossibleantibodies; othersstrivetoproduceavehiclethatshallboreitswayunderthesoillikeasubmarineunderthewater,oranaeroplaneasindependentofitsbaseasasailing-ship; othersexploreevenremoterpossibilitiessuchasfocusingthesun’sraysthroughlensessuspendedthousandsofkilometresawayinspace,orproducingartificialearthquakesandtidalwavesbytappingtheheatattheearth’scentre. 

           Butnoneoftheseprojectsevercomesanywherenearrealization,andnoneofthethreesuper-statesevergainsasignificantleadontheothers.