Woman on the Edge of Time Science Quotes

Alice is upset because the scientists are filming her and she's bald. The scientists interpret her embarrassment, and her anger at being humiliated, as "irrational violence." The scientists get to decide what's rational and what isn't. That's not because they're smart and know everything; it's because they have power.

Luciente is pointing out that scientists in our day are arrogant, which seems fair. The bit about "They had not even a theory of memory!" is an offhand bit of goofy sci-fi technobabble though. We don't get many of those in this book; they're worth savoring when they pop up.

Dr. Morgan uses the brain implant to control Alice; the suggestion is that he's getting sadistic pleasure out of it. Science here is a means of forcing people to do what you want, rather than a way to help people do stuff they couldn't before.