The play takes place within the Les Cerisiers sanatorium, where three physicists reside as patients under the care of Dr. Mathilde von Zahnd. Each man assumes the identity of a famous scientist: Newton, Einstein, and Mobius. When a series of nurses are murdered, a police investigation reveals that the patients are not mentally ill, but are instead international spies and a genius who has discovered the Universal Doctrine of All Possible Discoveries. Mobius feigns madness to keep his world-altering scientific formulas from being weaponized by competing political powers.
Readers interested in the intersection of scientific ethics and political responsibility choose this play to examine the paradox of knowledge. It appeals to those who study how technological progress can lead to catastrophic consequences regardless of an inventor's intent. The text demonstrates that once a discovery is made, it cannot be taken back, leaving the reader with the reality that total neutrality is impossible. One walks away with a cynical understanding of how institutional power seizes individual intellect for its own preservation.
Deep, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Deep Diver. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1962
- Language
- EN
