II. On Presenting My 

 Theory of Life 



IT IS with some understanding of the ordinary 

 methods of criticism of a theory that I have 

 ventured to advance a new theory of life. 



I am also aware of the discouraging and embarrass- 

 ing fact that leading authorities up to the present 

 have taken the position that to try to frame a def- 

 inition of life is a hopeless attempt. 



One remembers that Sir E. A. Schaefer said: 



"Everybody knows, or thinks he knows, what 

 life is; at least we are all acquainted with its 

 ordinary, obvious manifestations. It would 

 therefore seem that it should not be difficult to 

 find an exact definition. The quest has, never- 

 theless, baffled the most astute thinkers." 

 One further recalls that Lorande Loss Woodruff, 

 professor of biology at Yale University, writes: 

 "All [biologists] will undoubtedly admit that 

 we are at the present time utterly unable to give 

 an adequate explanation of the fundamental life 

 processes in terms of physics and chemistry. 



37 



