In this chapter, the Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning provides an in-depth explanation of the conditioning process used to prepare individuals for their predetermined roles in the World State. The setting is a laboratory where a group of students observes the methods employed in the production and conditioning of human beings. The Director begins by emphasizing the importance of mass production, drawing parallels to the assembly lines of factories. He notes that just as products are manufactured systematically, so too are humans created to fit specific societal functions.

The Director highlights the process of artificial reproduction, where embryos are created in test tubes and subjected to various stages of conditioning before they are born. He explains the use of genetic engineering, including techniques such as Bokanovsky's Process, which allows for the creation of multiple identical individuals from a single egg. This technique is crucial for maintaining the World State's population and ensuring uniformity among its citizens.

As the Director elaborates on the conditioning process, he introduces the concept of psychological manipulation through a method known as "hypnopaedia" or sleep-teaching. This technique involves repeated phrases and messages being played to sleeping children, instilling societal values and norms into their subconscious. The goal is to create a populace that unconsciously accepts their roles and the societal constructs without questioning or resisting.

The Director's demonstration includes the conditioning of infants, illustrating how they are trained to associate certain stimuli with pleasure or disgust. For example, babies are exposed to flowers and books, but when they reach out to touch them, they are subjected to loud noises and electric shocks. This aversive conditioning aims to instill a fear of nature and a preference for consumerism, ensuring that individuals remain dependent on the society's manufactured goods and experiences.

Throughout this lesson, the Director's discourse underscores the World State's commitment to stability and control. By conditioning individuals from infancy, the society eliminates the potential for dissent and deviation from established norms. The chapter serves as a critical exposition of the dehumanizing aspects of the World State's methods, presenting a stark contrast between the engineered happiness of its citizens and the ethical implications of such manipulation. The students are depicted as fascinated yet disturbed by the processes being revealed, setting the stage for the broader themes of individuality and societal control that will be explored throughout the novel.