Here in all its eccentricity, is the cutting edge of science: a magnetic train that requires no outside energy source; solar-powered interplanetary travel; an air-purifying helmet; and a device to reduce radioactivity. And just as engrossing is the eccentricity of the invention subculture. Always lurking in the background--and occasionally dominating the foreground--are the fundamental issues that the scientific avant-garde inevitably confronts: the nature of knowledge, the meaning of thought, the essence of senses, the sanctity of life, the existence of God . . .all of which leads to the fascinating final chapter, in which the author attempts--and fails--to patent himself.