ly attempts," he
said, "was simply to put this in as a volume factor, so that the
left-hand side of the equation, below the line, would read--" He
scribbled again on the paper and held it up:

m d
---- = K
d3ft2

"Unfortunately, as you can perhaps see," Dr. O'Connor said, "the
equation would not stand up under dimensional analysis."

"Oh, sure," Malone said, adding sympathetically: "That's too bad. But
does that put a limit on how much a man could carry with him? I mean, he
couldn't take a whole building along, or anything like that, could he?"

"I doubt it," Dr. O'Connor said gravely. "That would require a
tremendous volume of space for one to focus his entire attention on, as
a whole, for any useful length of time. It would require a type of mind
that I am not even sure exists."

"In the case of a young, inexperienced boy," Malone said stubbornly,
"would you say that he could carry off anything heavy?"

"Of course not," Dr. O'Connor said. "Nor, as a matter of fact, could he
carry off anything that was securely bolted down; I hope you follow me?"

"I think so," Malone said. "But look here: suppose you handcuffed him
to, say, a radiator or a jail cell bar."

"Yes?"

"Could he get away?"

Dr. O'Connor appeared to consider this with some care. "Well," he said
at last, "he certainly couldn't take the radiator with him, or the cell
bar. If that's what you mean." He hesitated, looked slightly shamefaced,
and then went on: "But you must realize that we lack any really
extensive data on this phenomenon."

"Of course," Malone said.

"That's why I'm so very anxious to get those subjects," Dr. O'Connor
said.

"Dr. O'Connor," Malone said earnestly, "that's just what I had in mind
from the start. I've been going to a lot of extra trouble to make sure
that those kids don't get killed or end up in reform schools or
something, just so you could work with them."

"I appreciate that, Mr. Malone," O'Connor said gravely.

Malone felt as if someone had given him a gold star. Fighting down the
emotion, he went on: "I know right now that I can catch one or two of
them. But I don't know for sure that I can hold one for more than a
fraction of a second."

"I see your problem," Dr. O'Connor said. "Believe me, Mr. Malone. I do
see your problem."

"And is there a way out?" Malone said. "I mean a way I can hold on to
them for--"

"At present," Dr. O'Connor said heavily, "I have no suggestions. I lack
data."

"Oh,