Genre:

Essay, Drollery

Subjects:

Psychology, Machinery, Materialism, Exhibitions, Electricity, Mesmerism

    Following Alfred Smee's claim, published in his Process of Thought, that 'mechanical contrivances' could be devised to imitate the actions of the mind, anticipates what a future Great Exhibition might feature. Discusses the implications of such machines including the idea that the insane will be able to have 'artificial brains' installed in their heads and the construction of 'mechanical Shakespeares and Beethovens—actuated by steam and electricity, instead of genius'. Ridicules the feasibility of producing 'cogitative machines'.