The flying island of Laputa astonishingly clever ideas which they were working or One day, they told me, they would find the answers to all these problems, and then their country would be the most wonderful place in the world. Meanwhile, I noticed that the people looked hungry and miserable. Their clothes were old and full of holes, their houses were badly built and falling down. There were no vegetables or corn growing in the fields. When I visited the School of Mathematics, I could not understand why the students looked so unhappy What's the matter, young man?' I asked one of them. "You look quite ill.' Yes, sir,' he answered. "You see, we've only just eaten our lessons for today, and it's made us feel rather sick. Eaten them?' I repeated in surprise. "Why did you do that? "Oh, that's the way we learn here, sir,' he replied. "Our professors write mathematical questions and answers on paper, then we eat the paper. After that we're only supposed to have bread and water for three days, while the information moves upwards to our heads. But it's awful, sir, not eating much for three days. And we often feel sick. Er excuse me, sir!' And he ran past me out of the room. This highly developed system of teaching did not seem to be working well