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== Background ==

== Background ==

Project X, also known as Project Xylophone, grew out of the earlier work by [[Robert Stadler]], PhD, who became Director of the [[State Science Institute]] shortly before the beginning of John Galt's famous strike. (The probable year of the strike call was 1917, as shown [[Atlas Shrugged#Time setting|here]].) Robert Stadler had done pioneering work in the physics of [[sound]], and particularly in [[ultrasonic]] sound, presumably while he was Chairman of the [[Physics]] Department at the [[Patrick Henry]] University (not to be confused with the real-life [[Patrick Henry College]]). The nature of Robert Stadler's work is never explained in the narrative, but recent real-life work in acoustical science has resulted in a device capable of delivering a coherent "beam" of ultrasonic sound.<ref name=Nottingham>University of Nottingham. "A Sonic Boom In The World Of Lasers." ''ScienceDaily'' 18 June 2009. 18 June 2009 <http://www.sciencedaily.com­/releases/2009/06/090617123652.htm>.</ref> Perhaps Dr. Stadler had developed such a device, called a ''saser'' (Sound Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation), in the hope of using it to produce what would, in the time setting of the novel, had become the first-ever automatic digital [[computer]].

Project X, also known as Project Xylophone, grew out of the earlier work by [[Robert Stadler]], PhD, who became Director of the [[State Science Institute]] shortly before the beginning of John Galt's famous strike. (The probable year of the strike call was 1917, as shown [[Atlas Shrugged#Time setting|here]].) Robert Stadler had done pioneering work in the physics of [[sound]], and particularly in [[ultrasonic]] sound, presumably while he was Chairman of the [[Physics]] Department at the [[Patrick Henry]] University (not to be confused with the real-life [[Patrick Henry College]]). The nature of Robert Stadler's work is never explained in the narrative, but recent real-life work in acoustical science has resulted in a device capable of delivering a coherent "beam" of ultrasonic sound.<ref name=Nottingham>University of Nottingham. "A Sonic Boom In The World Of Lasers." ''ScienceDaily'' 18 June 2009. 18 June 2009 <http://www.sciencedaily.com­/releases/2009/06/090617123652.htm>.</ref> Perhaps Dr. Stadler had developed such a device, called a ''saser'' (an obvious play on the word ''[[laser]]''), in the hope of using it to produce what would, in the time setting of the novel, had become the first-ever automatic digital [[computer]].

When Dr. Stadler came to the State Science Institute as its Director, he continued his work on sound and essentially placed all of it in the [[public domain]]. (Note that the Copyright Act of 1973 provides that the work product of any government agency is in the public domain in the United States.)

When Dr. Stadler came to the State Science Institute as its Director, he continued his work on sound and essentially placed all of it in the [[public domain]]. (Note that the Copyright Act of 1973 provides that the work product of any government agency is in the public domain in the United States.)