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'''John Galt''' (born 1980) is the mysterious [[protagonist]], or more accurately [[anti-villain]], in [[Ayn Rand|Ayn Rand's]] novel ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]''. For much of the novel he is merely a name without a face, about whom people ask, "Who is John Galt?" without knowing what or whom they're talking about. Eventually John Galt answers them directly, in a manifesto for individualism and [[capitalism]]. More to the point, he is an inventor, a philosopher, and a political movement leader, though not a politician in the usual sense, because he functions neither as legislator nor as administrator.

'''John Galt''' (born 1980) is the mysterious [[protagonist]], or more accurately [[anti-villain]], in [[Ayn Rand|Ayn Rand's]] novel ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]''. For much of the novel he is merely a name without a face, about whom people ask, "Who is John Galt?" without knowing what or whom they're talking about. Eventually John Galt answers them directly, in a manifesto for individualism and [[capitalism]]. More to the point, he is an inventor, a philosopher, and a political movement leader, though not a politician in the usual sense, because he functions neither as legislator nor as administrator.

John Galt resembles Henry Galt, the main character in a 1922 novel by a [[Garet Garett]] (1878–1954), a leading conservative economics writer of the day. It tells the story of a Wall Street financier, Henry Galt, a shadowy figure who stays out of the limelight as much as possible until he unleashes a plan that had been years in the making: he uses his extraordinary entrepreneurial talent to acquire control of a failing railroad.<ref>See [http://books.google.com/books?id=SoqU_RBwhNIC&dq=intitle:driver+inauthor:garrett&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=30&as_brr=0&source=gbs_navlinks_s ''The Driver'' (1922) online]; [ Jeffrey A. Tucker, "Who Is Garet Garrett?," [http://mises.org/story/2751 ''Mises Daily'' 10/25/2007]

John Galt resembles Henry Galt, the main character in a 1922 novel by a [[Garet Garett]] (1878–1954), a leading conservative economics writer of the day. It tells the story of a Wall Street financier, Henry Galt, a shadowy figure who stays out of the limelight as much as possible until he unleashes a plan that had been years in the making: he uses his extraordinary entrepreneurial talent to acquire control of a failing railroad.<ref>See [https://books.google.com/books?id=SoqU_RBwhNIC&dq=intitle:driver+inauthor:garrett&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=30&as_brr=0&source=gbs_navlinks_s ''The Driver'' (1922) online]; [ Jeffrey A. Tucker, "Who Is Garet Garrett?," [http://mises.org/story/2751 ''Mises Daily'' 10/25/2007]

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According to Beaty, the recently discussed "micromotors" created on silicon chips are actually electrostatic motors. Furthermore, he suggests that electrostatic motors would be much lighter in weight and thus much easier to deploy in space. He also asserts that bacterial [[flagellum|flagella]] and cellular [[cilium|cilia]] run on rotary electrostatic motors, and that all [[muscle]]s are in fact linear electrostatic motors.<ref name=Beaty/>

According to Beaty, the recently discussed "micromotors" created on silicon chips are actually electrostatic motors. Furthermore, he suggests that electrostatic motors would be much lighter in weight and thus much easier to deploy in space. He also asserts that bacterial [[flagellum|flagella]] and cellular [[cilium|cilia]] run on rotary electrostatic motors, and that all [[muscle]]s are in fact linear electrostatic motors.<ref name=Beaty/>

From the above, an electrostatic motor, as used in ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]'', might have been feasible. At least one anonymous source, writing in Wikipedia, suggests that an electrostatic motor would require a recharge every half hour.<ref name=wikipedia>"Static electricity." ''Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia''. 2 May 2009, 02:14 UTC. 2 May 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Static_electricity&oldid=287371163>.</ref> However, the collecting coil would be a source of continuous charge, so that becomes a moot point. The chief limitation would be on the size and inductance of the collecting coil.

From the above, an electrostatic motor, as used in ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]'', might have been feasible. At least one anonymous source, writing in Wikipedia, suggests that an electrostatic motor would require a recharge every half hour.<ref name=wikipedia>"Static electricity." ''Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia''. 2 May 2009, 02:14 UTC. 2 May 2009 <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Static_electricity&oldid=287371163>.</ref> However, the collecting coil would be a source of continuous charge, so that becomes a moot point. The chief limitation would be on the size and inductance of the collecting coil.

The novel specifically states that John Galt built an electrostatic [[dynamo]] to provide electric power for all of Mulligan's Valley, and also built a much smaller version to provide electric power for the laboratory that he maintained in his apartment in [[New York City]]. It further states that when the strike was over, John Galt proposed building [[locomotive]]s that would be powered by his invention. That [[Ragnar Danneskjold]] would try to retrofit his vessel to run on an electrostatic powerplant is only logical to suppose.

The novel specifically states that John Galt built an electrostatic [[dynamo]] to provide electric power for all of Mulligan's Valley, and also built a much smaller version to provide electric power for the laboratory that he maintained in his apartment in [[New York City]]. It further states that when the strike was over, John Galt proposed building [[locomotive]]s that would be powered by his invention. That [[Ragnar Danneskjold]] would try to retrofit his vessel to run on an electrostatic powerplant is only logical to suppose.