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WHAT IS LIFE ? 



When the moon is examined by a good telescope 

 the mind cannot get away from the idea that it is a 



FIG. 3. Portion of the lunar surface, highly magnified, showing the 

 shadows cf a mountain range, deep pits, and other details. From 

 :< Pioneers of Science," by Prof. O. Lodge, F.R.S., 1893, p. 98. 



solid body moving in space, similar to our earth. We see 

 the great mountains often with their craters, apparently 



principles just laid down, be in the dark and invisible state. Out of 

 some millions it may perhaps be concluded that, at any particular 

 moment, a dozen or so might, by accidental circumstances, be in 

 those phases of their several careers in which luminosity is a 

 characteristic. In such cases only will the orbs be visible. The 

 instructed astronomer will, therefore, believe that the non-visible 

 orbs must be hundreds, thousands, or perhaps millions of times more 

 numerous than those which he can see. When we remember that, 

 by our telescopes and on our photographs, we can discern something 



