160 THE ANATOMY OF SCIENCE 



the assumption that there is random shuffling, 

 and the great achievements of thermodynamics 

 have seemed to justify this assumption. But 

 these achievements have all been in the domain 

 of physics and chemistry. After our experience 

 with the geometries, where w^e found it neces- 

 sary for the interpretation of some parts of 

 mechanics to introduce a curved rather than a 

 flat geometry, we must be prepared, as we in- 

 crease the scope of application of probability 

 theory, to find crooked shuffling machines as 

 well as straight ones.^ 



Here we are beyond the help of mathematical 

 calculations. But the observation of animate 

 nature leads to the almost irresistible conviction 

 that here emerges into our perception a new ele- 

 ment, alien to the randomness that character- 

 izes the physical sciences; indeed, that living 

 creatures are cheats in the game of physics 

 and chemistry. It seems that animate creatures 



8 Such crookedness must not be confused with the mere 

 lack of a level chance. If there are a hundred white balls 

 and a hundred black balls in a box, and these are drawn 

 by a person blindfolded, we can easily calculate the chance 

 that the first ten balls will be white. If there are a hundred 

 white balls and a hundred and ten black ones the calcula- 

 tion is a little more difficult but can be made with equal 

 exactness. If, however, the drawer recognizes a slight differ- 

 ence in feeling between white and black balls, then we re- 

 fuse to make any calculation as to the result of the drawing. 



