Introductory Address 3 



of certain general ideas, particularly as concerns the sequence and interdepend- 

 ence of the phenomena being studied. 



Naturally the numerous facts which have recently been brought to light in 

 various fields of science without any direct relation to the question of the origin 

 of life are also of great importance for the solution of our problem. It may, 

 however, be felt that the time has come for the undertaking of work directly 

 aimed at the solution of oiu: problem. I beheve that our present gathering pro- 

 vides the opportunity for the methods of investigation employed in various 

 branches of science to be used, not only to provide a general opinion on the 

 problem in question, but also to indicate practical ways of working towards its 

 solution. 



Of course, even the ways of approaching the work may be very various. On 

 the Organizing Committee which called this Symposium the question arose as 

 to whether, in view of the large amoimt of material for presentation, the con- 

 ference ought not to be spUt into specialized sections. However, we decided that 

 it would be better to hmit, to some extent, the nimiber of papers read and to 

 provide, throughout, possibihties of general discussion in which the representa- 

 tives of the various sciences and branches of learning could participate. 



In opening our Symposium, allow me to express the hope that it will really 

 be a landmark in the history of the study of the problem with which we are con- 

 cerned and that its work will serve as a great stimulus to the extension of studies 

 in this field, enabling rapid advances to be made towards the solution of the 

 problem of the origin of life. 



I think I am voicing the general wish in proposing, as chairman of our present 

 session, the esteemed President of the International Union of Biochemistry, 

 Professor Florkin. 



