What is one of the absurd projects attempted by the professors at the Royal Academy in Lagado?

To take sunbeams out of cucumbers.

Gulliver experiences a surprising medical treatment involving a bellows. What is the intended purpose of this treatment?

To draw wind out of the patient's body and replace it with outside air.

Fill in the blank: The universal artist at the Academy wants to breed a herd of ___ sheep.

Naked

What is the main criticism of the universal artist's plan to plant fields with chaff?

Chaff does not cause seeds to grow; it is merely the waste from seeds.

Fill in the blank: The professor who uses a giant square hopes to create a complete set of all the world's ___ and ___ through shaking words.

Arts and sciences

What experimental idea did one professor propose to avoid miscommunication?

To stop speaking altogether and carry around objects to convey meaning.

True or False: The Academy is filled with practical projects that benefit mankind.

False; the projects are largely impractical and absurd.

What unusual treatment did Gulliver witness that involved a dog and a bellows?

The bellows were used to pump wind into the dog, causing its death from an overdose of air.