Footprints without Feet - Q&A
Think about it
1. "Griffin was rather a lawless person." Comment.
Griffin was indeed a lawless person. Although he was a brilliant scientist, he used his discovery for selfish and illegal purposes. [cite_start]He set fire to his landlord's house in revenge because the landlord tried to eject him[cite: 31]. To escape, he removed his clothes and became a homeless wanderer, stealing money and goods. [cite_start]He also physically attacked a shopkeeper and a police constable (Jaffers) to escape arrest[cite: 30]. His actions show a complete disregard for the law and the safety of others.
2. How would you assess Griffin as a scientist?
As a scientist, Griffin was undoubtedly brilliant and capable. [cite_start]He carried out experiment after experiment and finally succeeded in discovering how to make the human body transparent[cite: 31]. This was a remarkable scientific achievement. However, he failed to use his discovery for the benefit of mankind. Instead of being a responsible scientist, he misused his knowledge for personal gain, revenge, and criminal activities, which diminishes his standing as a true man of science.
Talk about it
1. Would you like to become invisible? What advantages and disadvantages do you foresee, if you did?
(Model Answer) Yes, it would be an exciting experience to become invisible for a short time.
Advantages: One could go anywhere without being stopped, watch bad people to catch them in the act (like a spy), and play harmless pranks on friends. It would be a great power to fight crime.
Disadvantages: As seen in Griffin's case, being invisible has many problems. [cite_start]If you are invisible, you might have to be naked to remain unseen, which would be terrible in winter[cite: 31]. You would feel lonely and isolated because no one could see or acknowledge you. There is also a risk of accidents, like being hit by vehicles because drivers cannot see you.
2. Are there forces around us that are invisible, for example, magnetism? Are there aspects of matter that are 'invisible' or not visible to the naked eye? What would the world be like if you could see such forces or such aspects of matter?
Yes, there are many invisible forces around us, such as magnetism, gravity, electricity, and radio waves. There are also aspects of matter not visible to the naked eye, such as atoms, molecules, bacteria, and viruses.
If we could see these forces, the world would look very different and perhaps overwhelming. We might see magnetic fields around magnets and the Earth. We would see signals travelling from mobile phones. Seeing bacteria and viruses everywhere might make us very scared to touch anything, but it would also help us avoid diseases. It would be a chaotic but fascinating visual experience.
3. What makes glass or water transparent (what is the scientific explanation for this)? Do you think it would be scientifically possible for a man to become invisible, or transparent? (Keep in mind that writers of science fiction have often turned out to be prophetic in their imagination!)
Glass or water is transparent because light passes through them without being absorbed or reflected significantly. The arrangement of electrons in their atoms allows light photons to pass through freely.
Scientifically, making a human body transparent is extremely difficult because the body is made of various tissues (bone, blood, skin) with different refractive indices, and they absorb or reflect light. However, scientists are working on "cloaking" technologies using metamaterials that can bend light around an object to make it appear invisible. While biological transparency like Griffin's is currently fiction, future technology might create illusions of invisibility, proving science fiction writers right once again.