structurally unsound buildings Their houses are very ill built the walls bevil without one right angle in any apartment and this defect ariseth from the contempt they bear to practical geometry Part III Chapter II It highlights Swift's view that excessive focus on theoretical knowledge without practical application is foolish Symbolism of the Floating Island Swift also uses the floating island as a metaphor The island of Laputa hovering above the ground symbolizes the detachment of these scientists from the real world They are literally and figuratively disconnected from the earth and the practical matters of everyday life This detachment is further emphasized by the need for their servants known as flappers to keep them focused during conversations because the Laputans are so lost in thought that they cannot pay attention to the world around them The Absurdity of the Academy of Lagado Swift describes the Academy of Lagado an allegory for the Royal Society of London The satire intensifies when Gulliver visits the Academy of Lagado in Balnibarbi Here Swift introduces a variety of bizarre and pointless experiments being conducted by the projectors scientists These include extracting sunlight from cucumbers turning ice into gunpowder building houses from the roof downward and turning human excrement back into food Here people try to soften marble for pillows and breed a species of wool-less sheep He had been eight years upon a project for extracting sunbeams out of cucumbers Satirical Allegory of the Royal Society Through these absurd experiments Swift criticizes the Royal Society and similar institutions of his time Swift believed the scientists of his time were engaging in frivolous and impractical research The absurdity of such experiments reveals the futility of such pursuits when they do not bring any benefits for the society Consequences of Impractical Science Swift's satire extends to the implications of these scientific endeavours In Lagado the kingdom is depicted as decaying and ruining Because people abandoned practical agricultural activities for this absurd experiment As a result once fertile land was barren the economy was on the brink of collapse that none of these projects are yet brought to perfection and in the meantime the whole country lies miserably waste the houses in ruins and the people without food or clothes Part III Chapter V This scenario warns of the potential dangers of valuing theoretical science over practical knowledge and common sense Swift suggests that pursuing science without regard for its real-world applications can lead to societal downfall Gulliver's Disillusionment Moreover Swift uses Gulliver s reactions to these societies to underscore his critique Gulliver who initially approaches these scientific wonders with curiosity and admiration soon becomes disillusioned He recognizes the impracticality and absurdity of the Laputans and Lagadans pursuits This reflects Swift's own scepticism about contemporary scientific endeavours In Gulliver's Travels Swift criticizes various subjects by criticizing the irrational activities of science Laputa and the Academy of Lagado highlight the danger of detachment from reality for detachment from reality for personal gain through irrational actions nbsp